Evidence of deflected super-Alfvénic electron jet in a reconnection region with weak guide field

Abstract

Recent numerical simulations demonstrated that electron diffusion region develops into two-scale structure, i.e., the inner electron diffusion region and the outer electron diffusion region. The outer diffusion region is manifested as super-Alfvénic electron jet embedded in central current sheet. However, the electron jets are deflected from neutral sheet with a weak guide field. In this paper we present the in situ evidence of deflected super-Alfvénic electron jet in a reconnection region with a weak guide field in the Earth's magnetotail. The electron-scale jet was detected at about 37 ion inertial lengths from the X line. There was a strong electric field at the jet. The strong electric field at the jet was primarily balanced by Hall electric field, as the intense current was mainly carried by magnetized electrons. Another event in the magnetosheath also supports our conclusion that guide field deflects the electron jet away the neutral sheet. Key Points Evidence of deflected super-Alfvénic electron jet in guide field reconnection The electron jet is an electron-scale current layer Clarify the discrepancy between simulation and observation ©2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.