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

doi:10.1029/2024ja033461

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 journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

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 language	English
Article number	e2024JA033461
Number of pages	14
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume	130
Issue number	1
Early online date	25 Dec 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ja033461
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2025

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Bai, SC., Guo, R., Xiao, Y., Shi, Q., Yao, Z., Pu, Z., Sun, W., Degeling, A. W., Tian, A., Rae, I. J., Yao, S., Zong, QG., Fu, S., Bu, Y., Russell, C. T., Burch, J. L., & Gershman, D. J. (2025). Spontaneously Generated Flux Ropes in 3‐D Magnetic Reconnection. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 130(1), Article e2024JA033461. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ja033461

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title = "Spontaneously Generated Flux Ropes in 3‐D Magnetic Reconnection",

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.",

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

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1029/2024ja033461",

language = "English",

volume = "130",

journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics",

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T1 - Spontaneously Generated Flux Ropes in 3‐D Magnetic Reconnection

AU - Bai, Shi‐Chen

AU - Guo, Ruilong

AU - Xiao, Yuchen

AU - Shi, Quanqi

AU - Yao, Zhonghua

AU - Pu, Zuyin

AU - Sun, Wei‐jie

AU - Degeling, Alexander W.

AU - Tian, Anmin

AU - Rae, I. Jonathan

AU - Yao, Shutao

AU - Zong, Qiu‐Gang

AU - Fu, Suiyan

AU - Bu, Yude

AU - Russell, Christopher T.

AU - Burch, James L.

AU - Gershman, Daniel J.

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85213018053

U2 - 10.1029/2024ja033461

DO - 10.1029/2024ja033461

M3 - Article

SN - 2169-9380

VL - 130

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

IS - 1

M1 - e2024JA033461

ER -

Spontaneously Generated Flux Ropes in 3‐D Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract

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