Direct observations of pure electron outflow in magnetic reconnection

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a universal process in space, astrophysical, and laboratory plasmas. It alters magnetic field topology and results in energy release to the plasma. Here we report the experimental results of a pure electron outflow in magnetic reconnection, which is not accompanied with ion flows. By controlling an applied magnetic field in a laser produced plasma, we have constructed an experiment that magnetizes the electrons but not the ions. This allows us to isolate the electron dynamics from the ions. Collective Thomson scattering measurements reveal the electron Alfvénic outflow without ion outflow. The resultant plasmoid and whistler waves are observed with the magnetic induction probe measurements. We observe the unique features of electron-scale magnetic reconnection simultaneously in laser produced plasmas, including global structures, local plasma parameters, magnetic field, and waves.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Sakai, K. Moritaka, T. Morita, T. Tomita, K. Minami, T. Nishimoto, T. Egashira, S. Ota, M. Sakawa, Y. Ozaki, N. Kodama, R. Kojima, T. Takezaki, T. Yamazaki, R. Tanaka, S. J. Aihara, K. Koenig, M. Albertazzi, B. Mabey, P. Woolsey, N. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2444-9027 Matsukiyo, S. Takabe, H. Hoshino, M. Kuramitsu, Y.
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© The Author(s) 2022 Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the dedicated technical support by the staff at ILE for the laser operation, target fabrication, and plasma diagnostics. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP19K21865, JPJSBP120203206, JP20KK0064, JP21J20499, JP22H01195, JP18H01232, JP22H01251, JPJSCCA2019002, and JPJSCCB20190003. This work was the result of using research equipment shared in MEXT Project for promoting public utilization of advanced research infrastructure (Program for advanced research equipment platforms) Grant Number JPMXS0450300121. Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the dedicated technical support by the staff at ILE for the laser operation, target fabrication, and plasma diagnostics. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP19K21865, JPJSBP120203206, JP20KK0064, JP21J20499, JP22H01195, JP18H01232, JP22H01251, JPJSCCA2019002, and JPJSCCB20190003. This work was the result of using research equipment shared in MEXT Project for promoting public utilization of advanced research infrastructure (Program for advanced research equipment platforms) Grant Number JPMXS0450300121.
Dates:	Published: December 2022 Published (online): 30 June 2022 Accepted: 9 June 2022
Institution:	The University of York
Academic Units:	The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Physics (York)
Depositing User:	Pure (York)
Date Deposited:	11 Jul 2022 15:10
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2024 18:33
Published Version:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14582-3
Status:	Published
Refereed:	Yes
Identification Number:	10.1038/s41598-022-14582-3
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:188983

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Direct observations of pure electron outflow in magnetic reconnection

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