title: Direct evidence for a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope flanked by two active magnetic reconnection X lines at Earth's magnetopause.
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.
authors: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Øieroset
authors: T D
authors: TD
authors: Phan
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Eastwood
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Fujimoto
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Daughton
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Shay
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Angelopoulos
authors: F S
authors: FS
authors: Mozer
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: McFadden
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Larson
authors: K-H
authors: KH
authors: Glassmeier