EGU21-9637, updated on 04 Mar 2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9637
EGU General Assembly 2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Strong B-Field Fluctuations Caused by the Electromagnetic LHDI and their Impact on 3D Reconnection

Florian Allmann-Rahn1, Simon Lautenbach1, Richard Sydora2, and Rainer Grauer1
Florian Allmann-Rahn et al.
  • 1Theoretische Physik I, Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada

The electromagnetic branch of the lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI) can lead to kinking of current sheets and fluctuations in the magnetic field and is present for example in Earth’s magnetosphere. Previous particle-in-cell studies suggested that the electromagnetic LHDI’s saturation is at a moderate level and that strong current sheet kinking is only caused by slower kink-type modes. Here, we present kinetic continuum simulations that show strong kinking and high saturation levels of the B-field fluctuations. Has the impact of the electromagnetic LHDI been underestimated? The capability of the LHDI to produce x-lines and turbulence in 3D reconnection is discussed at the example of ten-moment multi-fluid simulations.

How to cite: Allmann-Rahn, F., Lautenbach, S., Sydora, R., and Grauer, R.: Strong B-Field Fluctuations Caused by the Electromagnetic LHDI and their Impact on 3D Reconnection, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-9637, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9637, 2021.

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