Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Using Laser Scanning Microscopy to Determine Electromigration in Molybdenum Disilicide
Published on: May 23, 2025
Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of the Electron Diffusion Region of Large Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection
S Eriksson1, F D Wilder1, R E Ergun1,2
1Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA.
Abstract:
We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites of a large guide field magnetic reconnection event. The observations suggest that two of the four MMS spacecraft sampled the electron diffusion region, whereas the other two spacecraft detected the exhaust jet from the event. The guide magnetic field amplitude is approximately 4 times that of the reconnecting field. The event is accompanied by a significant parallel electric field (E_{∥}) that is larger than predicted by simulations. The high-speed (∼300 km/s) crossing of the electron diffusion region limited the data set to one complete electron distribution inside of the electron diffusion region, which shows significant parallel heating. The data suggest that E_{∥} is balanced by a combination of electron inertia and a parallel gradient of the gyrotropic electron pressure.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Fields
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Induced Electric Fields: Applications
Divergence and Curl of Magnetic Field
Electric Field of a Charged Disk
The system's symmetry is in the cylindrical directions across the plane of the charge. As a result, the electric fields created by various surface charge elements nullify each other in the direction parallel to the surface. Thereby, the resulting electric field is perpendicular to the plane. Since the disk is...
Plane Electromagnetic Waves II

