Direct evidence for a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope flanked by two active magnetic reconnection X lines at Earth's magnetopause

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Oct 14;107(16):165007. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.165007. Epub 2011 Oct 13.

Abstract

We report the direct detection by three THEMIS spacecraft of a magnetic flux rope flanked by two active X lines producing colliding plasma jets near the center of the flux rope. The observed density depletion and open magnetic field topology inside the flux rope reveal important three-dimensional effects. There was also evidence for nonthermal electron energization within the flux rope core where the fluxes of 1-4 keV superthermal electrons were higher than those in the converging reconnection jets. The observed ion and electron energizations differ from current theoretical predictions.