Electron Crescent Distributions as a Manifestation of Diamagnetic Drift in an Electron‐Scale Current Sheet: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations Using New 7.5 ms Fast Plasma Investigation Moments. Issue 2 (30th January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rager, A. C.; Dorelli, J. C.; Gershman, D. J.; Uritsky, V.; Avanov, L. A.; Torbert, R. B.; Burch, J. L.; Ergun, R. E.; Egedal, J.; Schiff, C.; Shuster, J. R.; Giles, B. L.; Paterson, W. R.; Pollock, C. J.; Strangeway, R. J.; Russell, C. T.; Lavraud, B.; Coffey, V. N.; Saito, Y.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 45:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 578
• Page End: 584
• Publication Date: 2018-01-30
• Subjects: diamagnetic drift -- reconnection; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2017GL076260
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: We report Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of electron pressure gradient electric fields near a magnetic reconnection diffusion region using a new technique for extracting 7.5 ms electron moments from the Fast Plasma Investigation. We find that the deviation of the perpendicular electron bulk velocity from E × B drift in the interval where the out‐of‐plane current density is increasing can be explained by the diamagnetic drift. In the interval where the out‐of‐plane current is transitioning to in‐plane current, the electron momentum equation is not satisfied at 7.5 ms resolution. Key Points: Diamagnetic drift explains out‐of‐plane current in regions of deviation from frozen‐in flux Perpendicular crescents exist in regions where electrons are diamagnetically drifting New technique for extracting 7.5 ms electron moments produces reliable data