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Counter-helical magnetic flux ropes from magnetic reconnections in space plasmas
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  • Ying-Dong Jia,
  • Yi Qi,
  • Xueyi Wang,
  • Nathan Miles,
  • Christopher T. Russell,
  • H. Y. Wei
Ying-Dong Jia
University of California Los Angeles

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Yi Qi
University of Colorado Boulder
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Xueyi Wang
Auburn University
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Nathan Miles
Unknown
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Christopher T. Russell
University of California Los Angeles
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H. Y. Wei
University of California Los Angeles
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Abstract

Magnetic flux ropes are ubiquitous in various space environments, including the solar corona, interplanetary solar wind, and planetary magnetospheres. When these flux ropes intertwine, magnetic reconnection may occur at the interface, forming disentangled new ropes. Some of these newly formed ropes contain reversed helicity along their axes, diverging from the traditional flux rope model. We introduce new observations and interpretations of these newly formed flux ropes from existing Hall Magnetohydrodynamics model results. We first examine the time-varying local magnetic field direction at the impact interface to assess the likelihood of reconnection. Then we investigate the electric current system to describe the evolution of these structures, which potentially accelerate particles and heat the plasma. This study offers novel insights into the dynamics of space plasmas and suggests a potential solar wind heating source, calling for further synthetic observations.
17 Jan 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
02 Feb 2024Published in ESS Open Archive