The proton pressure tensor as a new proxy of the proton decoupling region in collisionless magnetic reconnection

• Published in: Annales geophysicae (1988) Vol. 29; no. 9; pp. 1571 - 1579
• Main Authors: AUNAI, N, RETINO, A, BELMONT, G, SMETS, R, LAVRAUD, B, VAIVADS, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Göttingen Copernicus 01.01.2011; Copernicus GmbH; European Geosciences Union; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Magnetic fields; Magnetic reconnection; Physics; Physics of the ionosphere; Physics of the magnetosphere; Plasma Physics; Proxy; Space plasma physics; Electric potential; Magnetic reconnection; magnetic field; Plasma physics; Proxy; correlation; decoupling; Tensor fields; Space plasma physics (Magnetic reconnection); Distribution function; protons; trajectory
• ISSN: 0992-7689; 1432-0576; 1432-0576
• DOI: 10.5194/angeo-29-1571-2011

Cluster data is analyzed to test the proton pressure tensor variations as a proxy of the proton decoupling region in collisionless magnetic reconnection. The Hall electric potential well created in the proton decoupling region results in bounce trajectories of the protons which appears as a characteristic variation of one of the in-plane off-diagonal components of the proton pressure tensor in this region. The event studied in this paper is found to be consistent with classical Hall field signatures with a possible 20% guide field. Moreover, correlations between this pressure tensor component, magnetic field and bulk flow are proposed and validated, together with the expected counterstreaming proton distribution functions.