Energetic electron acceleration by unsteady magnetic reconnection
André, M.; Vaivads, A.; Khotyaintsev, Yu. V.; Retinò, A.; Fu, H. S.
Sweden, China, France
Abstract
Magnetic reconnection in the Earth's magnetosphere accelerates electrons. And yet energetic electrons are not created during reconnection in the solar wind. Observations from the Cluster spacecraft now suggest that electron acceleration is caused by repeated bursts of plasma flow, which only occur in situations where the magnetic reconnection is unsteady.