A Survey of Plasma Waves Appearing Near Dayside Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region Events

摘要

One of the major unresolved questions regarding the magnetic reconnection phenomenon is how plasma waves impact the process. In 2015, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the four-satellite Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission to study magnetic reconnection, especially on the electron scale. Since launch, it has identified several wave modes below the electron plasma frequency that occur near the dayside reconnection X-line. These include large-amplitude parallel electrostatic waves, whistler mode waves, lower hybrid waves, and turbulence associated with a corrugated current structure. We survey 23 electron diffusion region events observed by Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission at the dayside magnetopause to help understand how these wave modes impact the reconnection process. Common wave modes are identified, as well as their typical location within the reconnection layer (e.g., electron diffusion region, ion diffusion region, separatrix, and inflow and outflow jets). We find that, with a few exceptions, electromagnetic whistlers are most commonly confined to the separatrices of the exhaust boundary. Lower hybrid waves are found on the magnetosphere side of the current layer and do not make it to the X-line. The wave modes that typically occur closest to the dissipation region are the corrugated current structures and large-amplitude parallel electrostatic waves.