Fig. 3: Average features of current spikes. | Nature Communications

Fig. 3: Average features of current spikes.

From: Three-dimensional network of filamentary currents and super-thermal electrons during magnetotail magnetic reconnection

Fig. 3

a The scatter plot of Bx and the peak values of the current spikes \({J}_{{{{{\rm{peak}}}}}}\). The blue and pink dots represent the spikes dominated by the perpendicular and parallel currents, respectively. b The scatter plot of \({{{{{\bf{J}}}}}}\cdot ({{{{{\bf{E}}}}}}{{{{{\boldsymbol{+}}}}}}{{{{{{\bf{V}}}}}}}_{{{{{{\bf{e}}}}}}}\times {{{{{\bf{B}}}}}})\) and current density intensity |J|. The left axis shows the sum of \({{{{{\bf{J}}}}}}\cdot ({{{{{\bf{E}}}}}}+{{{{{{\bf{V}}}}}}}_{{{{{{\bf{e}}}}}}}\times {{{{{\bf{B}}}}}})\) in each current bin. The green and blue dashed lines are the sums of positive and negative \({{{{{\bf{J}}}}}}\cdot ({{{{{\bf{E}}}}}}+{{{{{{\bf{V}}}}}}}_{{{{{{\bf{e}}}}}}}\times {{{{{\bf{B}}}}}})\) in each current bin, and the red dashed line is the sum of \({{{{{\bf{J}}}}}}\cdot ({{{{{\bf{E}}}}}}+{{{{{{\bf{V}}}}}}}_{{{{{{\bf{e}}}}}}}\times {{{{{\bf{B}}}}}})\) (net dissipation) in each current bin. The bin size is 10 nA/m2. c, d The histogram of the number and duration of the current spikes. The blue, green, and red bars represent the currents of spikes dominated in the x, y, and z components, respectively. The data used in Fig. 3 are from the time period (03:58:07–03:58:43 UT) marked by two vertical black dashed lines when the MMS was located in the X-line region.

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