MMS observations of whistler waves in electron diffusion region

D. Cao , H.S. Fu , J.B. Cao , T. Y. Wang , D. B. Graham , Z. Z. Chen , F. Z. Peng , S. Y. Huang , Y. V. Khotyaintsev , M. André , C. T. Russell , B. L. Giles , P.-A. Lindqvist (1) , R. B. Torbert , R. E. Ergun , Olivier Le Contel (2) , J. L. Burch

1 Alfven Laboratory
2 LPP - Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas

Whistler waves that can produce anomalous resistivity by affecting electrons' motion have been suggested as one of the mechanisms responsible for magnetic reconnection in the electron diffusion region (EDR). Such type of waves, however, has rarely been observed inside the EDR so far. In this study, we report such an observation by Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. We find large-amplitude whistler waves propagating away from the X line with a very small wave-normal angle. These waves are probably generated by the perpendicular temperature anisotropy of the 300 eV electrons inside the EDR, according to our analysis of dispersion relation and cyclotron resonance condition; they significantly affect the electron-scale dynamics of magnetic reconnection and thus support previous simulations.

Domaines: Astrophysique [astro-ph]; Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

D. Cao, H.S. Fu, J.B. Cao, T. Y. Wang, D. B. Graham, et al.. MMS observations of whistler waves in electron diffusion region. Geophysical Research Letters, 2017, 44 (9), pp.3954-3962. ⟨10.1002/2017GL072703⟩. ⟨hal-01895730⟩