Spontaneously Generated Flux Ropes in 3‐D Magnetic Reconnection

Shi‐Chen Bai, Ruilong Guo*, Yuchen Xiao, Quanqi Shi*, Zhonghua Yao, Zuyin Pu, Wei‐jie Sun, Alexander W. Degeling, Anmin Tian, I. Jonathan Rae, Shutao Yao, Qiu‐Gang Zong, Suiyan Fu, Yude Bu, Christopher T. Russell, James L. Burch, Daniel J. Gershman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is the key to explosive phenomena in the universe. The flux rope is crucial in three‐dimensional magnetic reconnection theory and is commonly considered to be generated by secondary tearing mode instability. Here we show that the parallel electron flow moving toward the reconnection diffusion region can spontaneously form flux ropes. The electron flows form parallel current tubes in the separatrix region where the observational parameters suggest the tearing and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instabilities are suppressed. The spontaneously formed flux ropes could indicate the importance of electron dynamics in a three‐dimensional reconnection region.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2024JA033461
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume130
Issue number1
Early online date25 Dec 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2025

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