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Updated: May 27, 2026

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
Published on: July 20, 2022
Direct evidence for a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope flanked by two active magnetic reconnection X lines at
M Øieroset1, T D Phan, J P Eastwood
1Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Abstract:
We report the direct detection by three THEMIS spacecraft of a magnetic flux rope flanked by two active X lines producing colliding plasma jets near the center of the flux rope. The observed density depletion and open magnetic field topology inside the flux rope reveal important three-dimensional effects. There was also evidence for nonthermal electron energization within the flux rope core where the fluxes of 1-4 keV superthermal electrons were higher than those in the converging reconnection jets. The observed ion and electron energizations differ from current theoretical predictions.
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