Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Observations of turbulence generated by magnetic reconnection
J P Eastwood1, T D Phan, S D Bale
1Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7450, USA. eastwood@ssl.berkeley.edu
Abstract:
Spacecraft observations of turbulence within a magnetic reconnection (guide field approximately 0) ion diffusion region are presented. In the inertial subrange, electric and magnetic fluctuations both followed a -5/3 power law; at higher frequencies, the spectral indices were -1 and -8/3, respectively. The dispersion relation was found to be consistent with fast-mode-whistler waves rather than kinetic Alfvén-ion cyclotron waves. Lower hybrid waves, which could be enhanced by whistler mode conversion, were observed, but the associated anomalous resistivity was not found to significantly modify the reconnection rate.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Fields
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Divergence and Curl of Magnetic Field
Magnetic Field Lines
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop
Magnetic Flux
Suppose a surface is divided into elements of area dA. For each element, the component of the magnetic field that is normal to the...

