Magnetic reconnection in the plasma disk at 23 Jupiter radii

Wang, Jian-zhao and Bagenal, Fran and Eriksson, Stefan and Ergun, Robert E. and Delamere, Peter A. and Wilson, Robert J. and Ebert, Robert W. and Valek, Philip W. and Allegrini, Frederic and Ray, Licia C. (2025) Magnetic reconnection in the plasma disk at 23 Jupiter radii. Nature Communications, 16 (1): 11020. ISSN 2041-1723

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Abstract

A key open question in astrophysics is how plasma is transported within strongly magnetized, rapidly rotating systems. Magnetic reconnection and flux tube interchange are possible mechanisms, with Jupiter serving as the best local analog for distant systems. However, magnetic reconnection at Jupiter remains poorly understood. A key indicator of active magnetic reconnection is the ion diffusion region, but its detection at Jupiter had not been confirmed previously. Here, we report a magnetic reconnection event in Jupiter’s inner magnetosphere that presents the detection of an ion diffusion region. We provide evidence that this event involves localized flux tube interchange motion driven by centrifugal forces, which occurs inside a thin current sheet formed by the collision and twisting of two distinct flux tubes. This study provides insights into Io-genic plasma transport at Jupiter and the unique role of magnetic reconnection in rapidly rotating systems, two key unresolved questions.