Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Critical Issues on Magnetic Reconnection in Space Plasmas

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The idea of expedient energy transformation by magnetic reconnection (MR) has generated much enthusiasm in the space plasma community. The early concept of MR, which was envisioned for the solar flare phenomenon in a simple two-dimensional (2D) steady-state situation, is in dire need for extension to encompass three-dimensional (3D) non-steady-state phenomena prevalent in space plasmas in nature like in the magnetosphere. A workshop was organized to address this and related critical issues on MR. The essential outcome of this workshop is summarized in this review. After a brief evaluation on the pros and cons of existing definitions of MR, we propose essentially a working definition that can be used to identify MR in transient and spatially localized phenomena. The word “essentially” reflects a slight diversity in the opinion on how transient and localized 3D MR process might be defined. MR is defined here as a process with the following characteristics: (1) there is a plasma bulk flow across a boundary separating regions with topologically different magnetic field lines if projected on the plane of MR, thereby converting magnetic energy into kinetic particle energy, (2) there can be an out-of-the-plane magnetic field component (the so-called guide field) present such that the reconnected magnetic flux tubes are twisted to form flux ropes, and (3) the region exhibiting non-ideal MHD conditions should be localized to a scale comparable to the ion inertial length in the direction of the plasma inflow velocity. This definition captures the most important 3D aspects and preserves many essential characteristics of the 2D case. It may be considered as the first step in the generalization of the traditional 2D concept. As a demonstration on the utility of this definition, we apply it to identify MR associated with plasma phenomena in the dayside magnetopause and nightside magnetotail of the Earth’s magnetosphere. How MR may be distinguished from other competing mechanisms for these magnetospheric phenomena are then discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alfvén, H.: 1981, Cosmic plasma, D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H. and Fälthammar, C.-G.: 1963, in: International Series of Monographs on Physics, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Axford, W. I.: 1984, in: E. W. Hones (ed.), Magnetic Reconnection, AGU Monograph 30, American Geophysical Union, Washington, p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bale, S. D., Mozer, F. S., and Phan, T. D.: 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29(24), 2180, doi: 10.1029/2002GL016113.

  • Bauer, T. M., Paschmann, G., Sckopke, N., Baumjohann, W., Treumann, R. A., and Phan, T. D.: 1998, in: J. L. Horwitz, D. L. Gallagher and W. K. Peterson (eds.), Geospace Mass and Energy Flow: Results from the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Program, Geophysical Monograph 104, p. 51.

  • Biskamp, D.: 2000, Magnetic Reconnection in Plasmas, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C. Z. and Lui, A. T. Y.: 1998, Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 4091–4094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coppi, B., Laval, G., and Pellat, R.: 1966, Phys. Rev. Lett. 16, 1207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, S. W. H.: 1976, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 3455.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, S. W. H.: 1982, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 20, 531.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Keyser, J., Darrouzet, F., Roth, M., Vaisberg, O. L., Rybjeva, N., Smirnov, V., Avanov, L., Nemecek, Z., and Safrankova, J.: 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 25503.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Keyser, J. and Roth, M.: 2003, Planet. Space Sci. 51, 757–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, X. H. and Matsumoto, H.: 2001, Nature 410, 557–559.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, J. F.: 2001, Nature 410, 525–526.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, J. F., Swisdak, M., Cattell, C., Shay, M. A., Rodgers, B. N., and Zeiler, A.: 2003, Science 299, 873–877.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dungey, J. W.: 1961, Phys. Rev. Lett. 6, 47–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forbes, T. G. and Priest, E. R.: 1987, Rev. Geophys. 25, 1583–1607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, H. U., Phan, T. D., Fuselier, S. A., and Mende, S. B.: 2003, Nature 426, 533–536.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fujimoto, M., et al.: 1997, Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 2893–2896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujimoto, M., Nagai, T., Yokokawa, N., Yamade, Y., Mukai, T., Saito, Y., and Kokubun, S.: 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 21255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuselier, S. A., Klumpar, D. M., and Shelly, E. G.: 1991, Geophys. Res. Lett. 18, 139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuselier, S. A., Anderson, B. J., and Onsager, T. G.: 1995, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 11805.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuselier, S. A., Anderson, B. J., and Onsager, T. G.: 1997, J. Geophys. Res. 102, 4847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galeev, A. A., Kuznetsova, M. M., and Zeleny, L. M.: 1986, Space Sci. Rev. 44, 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giovanelli, R. G.: 1946, Nature 158, 81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosling, J. T., Asbridge, J. R., Bame, S. J., Feldman, W. C., Paschmann, G., Sckopke, N., and Russell, C. T.: 1982, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 2147–2158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosling, J. T., Thomsen, M. F., Bame, S. J., Elphic, R. C., and Russell, C. T.: 1990, Geophys. Res. Lett. 17, 2245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosling, J. T., Thomsen, M. F., Bame, S. J., Elphic, R. C., and Russell, C. T.: 1991, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 14097.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, J. M.: 1988, J. Geophys. Res. 93, 8583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1990, Space Sci. Rev. 53, 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1998, Space Sci. Rev. 83, 373–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 2003a, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 8–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacquey, C.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 49–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacquey, C., Sauvaud, J. A., and Dandouras, J.: 1991, Geophys. Res. Lett. 18, 389–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacquey, C., Sauvaud, J. A., Dandouras, J., and Korth, A.: 1993, Geophys. Res. Lett. 20, 983– 986.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaroschek, C. H., Treumann, R. A., Lesch, H., and Scholer, M.: 2004, Phys. Plasmas 11(4), 1–13, doi: 10.1063/1.1644814.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakhina, G. S., Tsurutani, B. T., Kojima, H., and Matsumoto, H.: 2000, J. Geophys. Res. 105, 27791–27831.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakhina, G. S.: 2000, Bull. Astron. Soc. India 28, 593–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemaire, J. and Roth, M.: 1978, J. Atm. Terr. Phys. 40, 331–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livesey, W. A. and Pritchett, P. L.: 1989, Phys. Fluids B 1, 914–922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lui, A. T. Y.: 2000, Magnetospheric Current Systems, AGU Monograph 118, AGU, Washington, DC, pp. 31–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lui, A. T. Y., Yoon, P.H., and Chang, C.-L.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lui, A. T. Y.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 54–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundin, R., Nilsson, H., and Yamauchi, M.: 2003a, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundin, R., Sauvaud, J.-A., Rème, H., Balogh, A., Dandouras, I., Bosqued, J. M., Carlson, C., Parks, G. K., Möbius, E., Kistler, L. M., Klecker, B., Amata, E., Formisano, V., Dunlop, M., Eliasson, L., Korth, A., Lavraud, B., and McCarthy, M.: 2003b, Ann. Geophysicae 21, 457–472.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundin, R., Yamauchi, M., Reme, H., Sauvaud, J.-A., Lavraud, B., Balogh, A., McDonell, M., and Phan, T.: 2004, Geophys. Res. Lett. in press.

  • Lyons, L. R. and Pridmore-Brown, D. C.: 1990, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 20903.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, D. G., Kutchko, F., Williams, D. J., Eastman, T. E., Frank, L. A., and Russell, C. T.: 1987, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 7394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mozer, F. S., Bale, S. D., and Phan, T. D.: 2002, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 015002.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nagai, T.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proc. Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 45–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagai, T., Fujimoto, M., Saito, Y., Machida, S., Terasawa, T., Nakamura, R., Yamamoto, T., Mukai, T., Nishida, A., and Kokubun, S.: 1998, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 4419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagai, T., Shinohara, I., Fujimoto, M., Moshino, M., Saito, Y., Machida, S., and Mukai, T.: 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 25929–25949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newcomb, W. A.: 1958, Ann. Phys. 3, 347–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohtani, S., Takahashi, K., and Russell, C.T.: 1992, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 3129–3136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Øieroset, M., Phan, T.D., Fujimoto, M., Lin, R. P., and Lepping, R. P.: 2001, Nature 412, 414–417.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, E. N.: 1957, J. Geophys. Res. 62, 509–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, E. N.: 1963, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 8, 177–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parnell, C. E.: 2000, in: J.-P. Rozelot, L. Klein and J.-C. Vial (eds.), Transport and Energy Conversion in the Heliosphere, Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer, pp. 61–97.

  • Paschmann, G., Sonnerup, B.Ü., Papamastorakis, I., Sckopke, N., Haerendel, G., Bame, S. J., Asbridge, J. R., Gosling, J. T., Russell, C. T., and Elphic, R. C.: 1979, Nature 282, 243–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petschek, H. E.: 1964, in: W.N. Hess (ed.), AAS-NASA Symposium on the Physics of Solar Flares, US Government Printing Office, pp. 425–437.

  • Phan, T.-D., Larson, D., McFadden, J., Lin, R. P., Carlson, C., Moyer, M., Paularena, K. I., McCarthy, M., Parks, G. K., Rème, H., Sanderson, T. R., and Lepping, R. P.: 1997, J. Geophys. Res. 102, 19883.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phan, T. D., Kistler, L. M., Klecker, B., Haerendel, G., Paschmann, G., Sonnerup, B. U.Ö., Baumjohann, W., Bavassano-Cattaneo, M. B., Carlson, C. W., DiLellis, A. M., Fornacon, K.-H., Frank, L. A., Fujimoto, M., Georgescu, E., Kokubun, S., Moebius, E., Mukai, T., Øieroset, M., Paterson, W. R., and Réme, H.: 2000, Nature 404, 848–850.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phan, T. D., Sonnerup, B. U.Ö., and Lin, R. P.: 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106, 25489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phan, T., Frey, H. U., Frey, S., Peticolas, L., Fuselier, S., Carlson, C., Rème, H., Bosqued, J.-M., Balogh, A., Dunlop, M., Kistler, L., Mouikis, C., Dandouras, I., Sauvaud, J.-A., Mende, S., McFadden, J., Parks, G., Moebius, E., Klecker, B., Paschmann, G., Fujimoto, M., Petrinec, S., Marcucci, M. F., Korth, A., and Lundin, R.: 2003, Geophys. Res. Lett. 30(10), 1599, doi: 10.1029/2003GL016885.

  • Pritchett, P. L. and Coroniti, F. V.: 2004, J. Geophys. Res. 109, A01220, doi: 10.1029/2003JA009999.

  • Pu, Z. Y., Xiao, C. J., Zong, Q. G., Fritz, T., Huang, Z. Y., Fu, S. Y., Dunlop, M. W., Cai, C. L., Cao, J. B., Liu, Z. X., Daly, P., Balogh, A., and Rème, H.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 60–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, M.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 19–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Runov, A., Nakamura, R., Baumjohann, W., Treumann, R. A., Zhang, T. L., Volwerk, M., Vörös, Z., Balogh, A., Glaß meier, K.-H., Klecker, B., Rème, H., and Kistler, L.: 2003, Geophys. Res. Lett. 30(11), doi: 10.1029/2002GL016730.

  • Russell, C. T. and Elphic, R. C.: 1978, Space Sci. Rev. 22, 681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, K., Hesse, M., and Birn, J.: 1988, J. Geophys. Res. 93, 5547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholer, M. and Treumann, R. A.: 1997, Space Sci. Rev. 80, 341–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholer, M., Sidorenko, I., Jaroschek, C. H., Treumann, R. A., and Zeiler, A.: 2003, Phys. Plasmas 10, 3521–3527, doi: 10.1063/1.1597494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scudder, J. D., Mozer, F. S., Maynard, N. C., and Russell, C. T.: 2002, J. Geophys. Res. 107, 1294, doi: 10.1029/2001JA000126.

  • Shay, M. A., Drake, J. F., Denton, R. E., and Biskamp, D.: 1998, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 9165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinohara, I., Sizuki, H., Fujimoto, M., and Hoshino, M.: 2001, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87(9), doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.095001.

  • Sitnov, M. I., and Lui, A. T. Y.: 1999, J. Geophys. Res. 104, 6941–6951.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, Y.: 1988, Self-Organization Process and Anomalous Transport in the Magnetosphere and Ionosphere, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Minnesota.

  • Song, Y.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 25–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, Y. and Lysak, R. L.: 1989, Geophys. Res. Lett. 16, 911–914.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, Y. and Lysak, R. L.: 2000, in: S.-I. Ohtani, et al. (eds.), Magnetospheric Current Systems, AGU Monograph 118, American Geophysical Union, Washington, p. 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnerup, B. U.Ö.: 1979, in L. J. Lanzerotti, C. F. Kennel, and E. N. Parker (eds.), Solar Systems Plasma Physics, Vol. 3, North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 45–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnerup, B. U.Ö.: 1984, in: E. W. Hones, Jr. (ed.), Magnetic Reconnection, AGU Monograph 30, American Geophysical Union, Washington, p. 92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnerup, B. U.Ö., et al.: 1984, in: D. M. Butler and K. Papadopoulos (eds.), Solar Terrestrial Physics: Present and Future, NASA Ref. Publ. Vol. 1130, Chapter 1.

  • Sonnerup, B. U.Ö., et al.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 10049–10067.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stasiewicz, K.: 1991, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 77–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweet, P. A.: 1958, in: B. Lehnert (ed.), Electromagetic Phenomena in Cosmical Physics, Cambridge University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traver, D. P., Mitchell, D. G., Williams, D. J. Frank, L. A.: 1991, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 21025.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treumann, R. A. and Baumjohann, W.: 1988, Planet. Space Sci. 36, 1477–1484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treumann, R. A., LaBelle, J., and Bauer, T. M.: 1995, in: B. Sonnerup, P. Song, and M. Thomsen (eds.), Physics of the Magnetopause, Geophysics Monograph, 90, pp. 331–341.

  • Treumann, R. A., Baumjohann, W., Nakamura, R., and Runov, A.: 2003, ‘The Hall physics of reconnection in the magnetospheric tail’, Cluster-Tail workshop, Graz.

  • Tur, A., Louarn, O., Yanovsky, V., LeQuéau, D., and Génot, V.: 2001, J. Plasma Physics 66, 97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaivads, A., André, M., Buchert, S. C., Wahlund, J.-E., Fazakerley, A. N., and Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N.: 2004, Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L03804, doi: 10.1029/2003GL018142.

  • Vasyliunas, V. M.: 1975, Rev. Geophys. 13, 303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada, M., Ji, H., Hsu, S., Carter, T., Kulsrud, R., Bretz, N., Jobes, F., Ono, Y., and Perkins, F.: 1997, Phys. Plasmas 4, 1936–1944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamauchi, M.: 2003, in: R. Lundin and R. Mc Gregor (eds.), Proceedings of the Magnetic Reconnection Meeting, IRF Scientific Report 280, ISSN 0284-1703, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, pp. 36–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamauchi, M., Lundin, R., Norberg, O., Sandahl, I., Elliasson, L., and Winningham, D.: 2003, in: P.T. Newell and T. Onsager (eds.), Earth’s Low Latitude Boundary Layer, AGU Monograph 133, pp. 179–188.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, 20723-6099, USA

    A. T. Y. Lui

  2. Ctr. d’Etudes Spatiales Rayonnements, 9 ave Colonel Roche, Toulouse, 31400, France

    C. Jacquey

  3. Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Colaba, Mumbai, 400005, India

    G. S. Lakhina

  4. Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, S-981 28, Kiruna, Sweden

    R. Lundin & M. Yamauchi

  5. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan

    T. Nagai

  6. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    T.-D. Phan

  7. School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Z. Y. Pu

  8. Institut d’Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique, Avenue circulaire, 3 B-1180, Brussels, Belgium

    M. Roth

  9. School Physics & Astronomy, Tate Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Y. Song

  10. CIPS/MPE, P.O. Box 1312, Garching bei Munich, Munich, D-85741, Germany

    R. A. Treumann

  11. Russian Academy Sciences, Space Research Institute, Profsoyuznaya str. 84/32, Moscow, 117810, Russia

    L. M. Zelenyi

Authors
  1. A. T. Y. Lui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Jacquey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. S. Lakhina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Lundin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T. Nagai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T.-D. Phan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Z. Y. Pu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M. Roth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Y. Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. R. A. Treumann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. M. Yamauchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. L. M. Zelenyi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lui, A.T.Y., Jacquey, C., Lakhina, G.S. et al. Critical Issues on Magnetic Reconnection in Space Plasmas. Space Sci Rev 116, 497–521 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-005-1987-6

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-005-1987-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation