Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Morse Hall, rm 301 -OR- Zoom
Speaker:
Dr. Kevin Genestreti
Southwest Research Institute, Deputy PI of MMS
Southwest Research Institute, Deputy PI of MMS
Full title:
The Electron Diffusion Region of Magnetic Reconnection: A Decade of MMS Results
Abstract:
Magnetic reconnection powers explosive phenomena in many plasma environments, often serving as the catalyst for large-scale and rapid redistributions of mass and energy. Reconnection converts free energy stored in sheared magnetic fields, which undergo a topological reconfiguration enabled by small-scale diffusion regions.
In the electron diffusion region (EDR), electron-kinetic processes allow the sheared magnetic fields to slip through the plasma and merge, imparting a fraction of the stored energy to the plasma. To a large degree, the dynamics that enable reconnection in EDRs are set by the background conditions of the reconnecting plasma.
Nearly a decade after its launch, NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has observed many EDRs in a wide variety of plasma conditions. In this talk we review these MMS results and compare and contrast to modeling-driven and theoretical predictions.
Free snacks and refreshments will be provided in Morse Hall.
Schedule:
Check out the rest of this season's Space Science Seminar Series, as well as previous recordings.
