Cluster hears the heartbeat of magnetic reconnection

[Rick]

Cluster hears the heartbeat of magnetic reconnection

For the first time, scientists have resolved the detailed structure of the core region where magnetic reconnection takes place in the magnetosphere of Earth using unprecedented wave measurements. The study, based on data from ESA's Cluster mission, has mapped different types of electrostatic waves in this region. The waves trace populations of plasma particles that are involved in the different stages of a magnetic reconnection event.

More: http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=51741