Global view of dayside magnetic reconnection with the dusk-dawn IMF orientation: A statistical study for Double Star and Cluster data
Lucek, E.; Dunlop, M. W.; Rème, H.; Carr, C.; Liu, Z. X.; Shen, C.; Fu, S. Y.; Pu, Z. Y.; Zong, Q. G.; Wang, J.; Ma, Z. W.; Escoubet, P.; Xie, L.; Xiao, C. J.; Wang, X. G.; Zhou, X. -Z.; Zhang, X. G.
China, United States, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands
Abstract
Double Star/TC-1 and Cluster data show that both component reconnection and anti-parallel reconnection occur at the magnetopause when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is predominantly dawnward. The occurrence of these different features under these very similar IMF conditions are further confirmed by a statistical study of 290 fast flows measured in both the low and high latitude magnetopause boundary layers. The directions of these fast flows suggest a possible S-shaped configuration of the reconnection X-line under such a dawnward dominated IMF orientation.