MAVEN Observations of Tailward Reconnection Front in the Martian Magnetotail

Intense electromagnetic energy conversion and local magnetic flux transport occur at reconnection fronts (RFs) formed by magnetic reconnection. Tailward RFs (TRFs), characterized by sharply enhanced negative magnetic field normal components accompanied by tailward plasma flows, are the tailward propagating dipolarization fronts in the Earth's magnetotail. So far RFs and TRFs are observed merely at magnetized planets. Using data from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, we report, for the first time, the observations of TRF embedded in a current sheet (possibly diffusion region of magnetic reconnection) in the Martian magnetotail. At the TRF, O+ and O-2(+) are accelerated in tailward direction; behind the TRF, the perpendicular electron fluxes enhance at the energy of 251-905 eV, which should be caused by betatron acceleration. The energized plasmas indicate that the electromagnetic energy converts to plasma kinetic energy around the TRF. Our observations suggest that RFs could occur in the planetary magnetotail without the global intrinsic dipole magnetic field.

Automated summary

Intense electromagnetic energy conversion and local magnetic flux transport occur at reconnection fronts. Tailward RFs (TRFs) are observed in the Earth's magnetotail, characterized by enhanced negative magnetic field and tailward plasma flows. This study reports the first observations of TRF embedded in a current sheet (possibly diffusion region of magnetic reconnection) in the Martian magnetotail, suggesting the occurrence of RFs without a global dipole magnetic field.