| PHYSICS OF GASES, PLASMAS, AND ELECTRIC DISCHARGES |
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On the Gradient of the Electron Pressure in Anti-Parallel Magnetic Reconnection |
| WANG Huan-Yu, HUANG Can**, LU Quan-Ming, WANG Shui |
CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026
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| Cite this article: |
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WANG Huan-Yu, HUANG Can, LU Quan-Ming et al 2015 Chin. Phys. Lett. 32 045201 |
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Abstract We first perform a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of anti-parallel magnetic reconnection to verify that in the electron diffusion region the reconnection electric field is mainly balanced by the gradient of the electron pressure. Then, by following typical electron trajectories in the fixed electromagnetic field of anti-parallel reconnection, we calculate the gradient of the electron pressure. We find that the resulted gradient of the electron pressure is equal to the reconnection electric field. This indicates that in the electron diffusion region the reconnection electric field is balanced by the gradient of the electron pressure, which results from the electron nongyrotropic motions. Our result gives a microphysical explanation of the balance between the reconnection electric field and the gradient of the electron pressure.
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Received: 22 October 2014
Published: 30 April 2015
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