Mode Converting Alfv\'en Waves from Magnetic Reconnection Enhancing the Energy Source for the Aurora Borealis
Abstract
Previous studies have concluded that the Hall magnetic field structures generated during magnetic reconnection are carried away by kinetic Alfv\'en waves (KAW). Here we apply a kinetic simulation with an ion/electron mass ratio closer to its natural value and find that much-reduced damping rates permit the KAW to convert into shear Alfv\'en waves (SAW). For magnetotail reconnection these SAW provides efficient transport of wave energy, enhancing the energy input for the Aurora Borealis by orders of magnitude above previous estimates.
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