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Plasma acceleration at the Earth's magnetopause: evidence for reconnection

Nature volume 282, pages 243–246 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

A characteristic of magnetic field reconnection is the acceleration of plasma as it flows across a rotational discontinuity. At the Earth's magnetopause this effect has only been observed recently during a few magnetopause crossings by the ISEE satellites. For one example analysed in detail the results show good agreement with theoretical predictions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Physik und Astrophysik, Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 8046, Garching, FRG

    G. Paschmann, B. U. Ö. Sonnerup, I. Papamastorakis, N. Sckopke & G. Haerendel

  2. University of California, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545

    S. J. Bame, J. R. Asbridge & J. T. Gosling

  3. University of California at Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics Los Angeles, California, 90024

    C. T. Russell & R. C. Elphic

  4. Dartmouth College, Radiophysics Laboratory, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755

    B. U. Ö. Sonnerup

Authors
  1. G. Paschmann
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  2. B. U. Ö. Sonnerup
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  3. I. Papamastorakis
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  4. N. Sckopke
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  5. G. Haerendel
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  6. S. J. Bame
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  7. J. R. Asbridge
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  9. C. T. Russell
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  10. R. C. Elphic
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Paschmann, G., Sonnerup, B., Papamastorakis, I. et al. Plasma acceleration at the Earth's magnetopause: evidence for reconnection. Nature 282, 243–246 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282243a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/282243a0

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