References

NPG

Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics

NPG

Nonlin. Processes Geophys.

1607-7946

Copernicus Publications

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/npg-22-167-2015

Brief Communication: The double layer in the separatrix region during magnetic reconnection

Guo

¹ ² Yu

School of Mathematics and Physics, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266061, China

Sate Key Laboratory of Space Weather, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

16 03 2015

22 2 167 171

2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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With two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations we investigate the evolution of the double layer (DL) driven by magnetic reconnection. Our results show that an electron beam can be generated in the separatrix region as magnetic reconnection proceeds. This electron beam could trigger the ion-acoustic instability; as a result, a DL accompanied with electron holes (EHs) can be found during the nonlinear evolution stage of this instability. The spatial size of the DL is about 10 Debye lengths. This DL propagates along the magnetic field at a velocity of about the ion-acoustic speed, which is consistent with the observation results.

National Natural Science Foundation of China

41204115

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