Whistler waves that can produce anomalous resistivity by affecting electrons' motion have been suggested as one of the mechanisms responsible for magnetic reconnection in the electron diffusion ...region (EDR). Such type of waves, however, has rarely been observed inside the EDR so far. In this study, we report such an observation by Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. We find large‐amplitude whistler waves propagating away from the X line with a very small wave‐normal angle. These waves are probably generated by the perpendicular temperature anisotropy of the ~300 eV electrons inside the EDR, according to our analysis of dispersion relation and cyclotron resonance condition; they significantly affect the electron‐scale dynamics of magnetic reconnection and thus support previous simulations.
Key Points
Whistler waves are observed inside the EDR by MMS
The whistlers are propagating away from the X line
The pancake distribution of electrons in the EDR generates the whistlers
Magnetic reconnection—the process responsible for many explosive phenomena in both nature and laboratory—is efficient at dissipating magnetic energy into particle energy. To date, exactly how this ...dissipation happens remains unclear, owing to the scarcity of multipoint measurements of the “diffusion region” at the sub‐ion scale. Here we report such a measurement by Cluster—four spacecraft with separation of 1/5 ion scale. We discover numerous current filaments and magnetic nulls inside the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection, with the strongest currents appearing at spiral nulls (O‐lines) and the separatrices. Inside each current filament, kinetic‐scale turbulence is significantly increased and the energy dissipation, E′ ⋅ j, is 100 times larger than the typical value. At the jet reversal point, where radial nulls (X‐lines) are detected, the current, turbulence, and energy dissipations are surprisingly small. All these features clearly demonstrate that energy dissipation in magnetic reconnection occurs at O‐lines but not X‐lines.
Key Points
Strong current, turbulence, and energy dissipation at O‐lines
No current, turbulence, and energy dissipation at X‐lines
The current‐driven turbulence at O‐lines leads to dissipation
Theoretically, magnetic reconnection—the process responsible for solar flares and magnetospheric substorms—occurs at the X‐line or radial null in the electron diffusion region (EDR). However, whether ...this theory is correct is unknown, because the radial null (X‐line) has never been observed inside the EDR due to the lack of efficient techniques and the scarcity of EDR measurements. Here we report such evidence, using data from the recent MMS mission and the newly developed First‐Order Taylor Expansion (FOTE) Expansion technique. We investigate 12 EDR candidates at the Earth's magnetopause and find radial nulls (X‐lines) in all of them. In some events, spacecraft are only 3 km (one electron inertial length) away from the null. We reconstruct the magnetic topology of these nulls and find it agrees well with theoretical models. These nulls, as reconstructed for the first time inside the EDR by the FOTE technique, indicate that the EDR is active and the reconnection process is ongoing.
Plain Language Summary
Magnetic reconnection is a key process responsible for many explosive phenomena in nature such as solar flares and magnetospheric substorms. Theoretically, such process occurs at the X‐line or radial null in the electron diffusion region (EDR). However, whether this theory is correct is still unknown, because the radial null (X‐line) has never been observed inside the EDR due to the lack of efficient technique and the scarcity of EDR measurements. Here we report such evidence, using data from the recent MMS mission and the newly developed FOTE technique.
Key Point
We provide the first evidence of radial nulls (X‐lines) in EDR
We present the first experimental evidence supported by simulations of kinetic effects launched in the interpenetration layer between the laser-driven hohlraum plasma bubbles and the corona plasma of ...the compressed pellet at the Shenguang-III prototype laser facility. Solid plastic capsules were coated with carbon-deuterium layers; as the implosion neutron yield is quenched, DD fusion yield from the corona plasma provides a direct measure of the kinetic effects inside the hohlraum. An anomalous large energy spread of the DD neutron signal (∼282 keV) and anomalous scaling of the neutron yield with the thickness of the carbon-deuterium layers cannot be explained by the hydrodynamic mechanisms. Instead, these results can be attributed to kinetic shocks that arise in the hohlraum-wall-ablator interpenetration region, which result in efficient acceleration of the deuterons (∼28.8 J, 0.45% of the total input laser energy). These studies provide novel insight into the interactions and dynamics of a vacuum hohlraum and near-vacuum hohlraum.
One of the most promising approaches to reach a high gain in inertial confinement fusion is the fast ignition scheme. In this scheme, a relativistic electron beam is generated; this passes through ...the imploded plasma and deposits parts of its energy in the core. However, the large angular spread of the relativistic electron beam and the poorly controlled compression of the target affect realization of the fast ignition technique. Here, we demonstrate that indirectly driven (that is, driven by X-rays generated inside a gold hohlraum) implosions with a ‘high-foot’ and a short-coast time of less than 200 ps allow us to tightly compress the shell. Furthermore, we show the ability to optimize the symmetry of the imploding shell by changing the hohlraum length, successfully tuning a suitable tube-shaped shell to compensate for the large angular spread of the relativistic electron beam and to enhance the electron-to-core coupling efficiency via resistive magnetic fields. Benefiting from those experimental techniques, a significant enhancement in neutron yield was achieved in our indirectly driven fast ignition experiments. These results pave the way towards high-coupling fast ignition experiments with indirectly driven targets similar to those at the National Ignition Facility.Experiments realizing the indirect-drive fast ignition scheme for inertial confinement fusion are reported. Enabled by a tightly compressed target, an increase of neutron yield is observed.
Abstract
We investigate a series of three small‐scale flux transfer events (FTEs) associated with reconnected flux ropes, recently generated by a nearby, dayside magnetic reconnection line. The data ...are observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft near noon local time. We find that the associated FTEs are created by secondary magnetic reconnection and have different magnetic field topologies, which is a similar condition to that expected in the multiple X‐line magnetic reconnection (MR) model. The calculated results show that the sizes of the FTEs become larger with the time elapsed and the MR reconnection jets at the FTEs are all located on the trailing and outer edges. The above features indicate that these FTEs are still in the evolutionary stage after they are ejected from the reconnection region. Our observations suggest that mesoscale or even typical size FTEs can be created from secondary MR, initially, and subsequently can evolve to a typical size in the process of spreading.
Key Points
A series of (three) ion‐scale FTEs are observed within 1 min before MMS crosses the magnetopause reconnection dissipation region
These FTEs are created by secondary magnetic reconnection and still in the evolution stage after they are ejected from reconnection region
These FTEs appear to be associated with secondary MR reconnection but have different magnetic field topologies
Dipolarization fronts (DFs) are frequently detected in the Earth's magnetotail from XGSM = −30 RE to XGSM = −7 RE. How these DFs are formed is still poorly understood. Three possible mechanisms have ...been suggested in previous simulations: (1) jet braking, (2) transient reconnection, and (3) spontaneous formation. Among these three mechanisms, the first has been verified by using spacecraft observation, while the second and third have not. In this study, we show Cluster observation of DFs inside reconnection diffusion region. This observation provides in situ evidence of the second mechanism: Transient reconnection can produce DFs. We suggest that the DFs detected in the near‐Earth region (XGSM > −10 RE) are primarily attributed to jet braking, while the DFs detected in the mid‐ or far‐tail region (XGSM < −15 RE) are primarily attributed to transient reconnection or spontaneous formation. In the jet‐braking mechanism, the high‐speed flow “pushes” the preexisting plasmas to produce the DF so that there is causality between high‐speed flow and DF. In the transient‐reconnection mechanism, there is no causality between high‐speed flow and DF, because the frozen‐in condition is violated.
Key Points
DFs are observed inside reconnection diffusion region
Three formation mechanisms of DF are compared
Causality between flow and DF is discussed
The neuro-anatomical substrates of major depressive disorder (MDD) are still not well understood, despite many neuroimaging studies over the past few decades. Here we present the largest ever ...worldwide study by the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Major Depressive Disorder Working Group on cortical structural alterations in MDD. Structural T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 2148 MDD patients and 7957 healthy controls were analysed with harmonized protocols at 20 sites around the world. To detect consistent effects of MDD and its modulators on cortical thickness and surface area estimates derived from MRI, statistical effects from sites were meta-analysed separately for adults and adolescents. Adults with MDD had thinner cortical gray matter than controls in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior and posterior cingulate, insula and temporal lobes (Cohen's d effect sizes: -0.10 to -0.14). These effects were most pronounced in first episode and adult-onset patients (>21 years). Compared to matched controls, adolescents with MDD had lower total surface area (but no differences in cortical thickness) and regional reductions in frontal regions (medial OFC and superior frontal gyrus) and primary and higher-order visual, somatosensory and motor areas (d: -0.26 to -0.57). The strongest effects were found in recurrent adolescent patients. This highly powered global effort to identify consistent brain abnormalities showed widespread cortical alterations in MDD patients as compared to controls and suggests that MDD may impact brain structure in a highly dynamic way, with different patterns of alterations at different stages of life.
In the context of correlated insulators, where electron–electron interactions (U) drive the localization of charge carriers, the metal–insulator transition is described as either bandwidth- or ...filling-controlled1. Motivated by the challenge of the insulating phase in Sr2IrO4, a new class of correlated insulators has been proposed, in which spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is believed to renormalize the bandwidth of the half-filled jeff = 1/2 doublet, allowing a modest U to induce a charge-localized phase2,3. Although this framework has been tacitly assumed, a thorough characterization of the ground state has been elusive4,5. Furthermore, direct evidence for the role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state has not been established, because previous attempts at revealing the role of SOC6,7 have been hindered by concurrently occurring changes to the filling8–10. We overcome this challenge by employing multiple substituents that introduce well-defined changes to the signatures of SOC and carrier concentration in the electronic structure, as well as a new methodology that allows us to monitor SOC directly. Specifically, we study Sr2Ir1−xTxO4 (T = Ru, Rh) by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, combined with ab initio and supercell tight-binding calculations. This allows us to distinguish relativistic and filling effects, thereby establishing conclusively the central role of SOC in stabilizing the insulating state of Sr2IrO4. Most importantly, we estimate the critical value for SOC in this system to be λc = 0.42 ± 0.01 eV, and provide the first demonstration of a spin–orbit-controlled metal–insulator transition.A combined ARPES and DFT study of Ru- and Rh-substituted samples of Sr2IrO4 reveals a collapse of its correlated insulating phase that is controlled by spin–orbit coupling.
Abstract
Reconnection fronts (RFs), ion-scale magnetic transients characterized by dramatic enhancement of reconnected magnetic fields, have been documented as crucial energy transfer regions during ...magnetic reconnection. RFs have hitherto been observed only in the planetary (e.g., Earth, Saturn, Mars, and Venus) magnetotails. Whether RFs can exist in other magnetospheric regions remains unclear. Here, using high-cadence data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the first observation of successive RFs in Earth's turbulent magnetosheath. The RFs were detected inside an ion diffusion region and several
di
(ion inertial length) away from reconnection X-line. In addition, we find that the strongest energy conversion occurs at the RF rather than at the X-line. The present observation indicates that RFs may be universal in the planetary magnetosphere and play a crucial role in the reconnection dynamics.
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