Ultrafast Measurements of Whistler Waves in Electron-only Magnetic Reconnection

Ultrafast Measurements of Whistler Waves in Electron-only Magnetic Reconnection | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Ultrafast Measurements of Whistler Waves in Electron-only Magnetic Reconnection Zuzheng Chen, Huishan Fu, Jinbin Cao, Jiang Yu, Olivier Le Contel, and 10 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7257346/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Magnetic reconnection, a fundamental energy conversion process, underpins a multitude of eruptive phenomena across the universe. Compared to the traditional standard magnetic reconnection with ion coupling, the recently discovered electron-only magnetic reconnection operates at strikingly diminutive spatial scales, imposing formidable observational constraints on resolving its intrinsic physical processes, most critically within its core region—near the X-line. Consequently, the intrinsic mechanism governing electron-only magnetic reconnection remains largely enigmatic. Leveraging high-resolution data from NASA’s MMS mission, we present unprecedented observations of two types of whistler waves in electron-only magnetic reconnection: right-handed whistler waves near the X-line, excited by perpendicular anisotropy electron distributions via second order cyclotron resonance, contrasted by left-handed whistler waves in the outflow jet. The outflow-associated whistler waves reside within a magnetic hole coupled to the Hall magnetic field. Beyond these distinct features diverging from standard magnetic reconnection, hallmark phenomena analogous to standard magnetic reconnection—specifically flux pileup region in the outflow—is also identified for the first time in this electron-only regime. Our observations may provide novel insights into the magnetic reconnection and the microscale dynamics in space and astrophysical plasmas. Earth and environmental sciences/Space physics/Magnetospheric physics Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Space physics/Magnetospheric physics Physical sciences/Physics/Plasma physics/Astrophysical plasmas Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7257346","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":505163683,"identity":"fb3813cc-12c3-4ba1-8362-5662cd74078d","order_by":0,"name":"Zuzheng Chen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAz0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCTB5QM4AwmUmXosx6VoSNxCthX9287GHP/7cSd8ukfzwA0OFdWID+9kD+C25cyzdQILnWe7OGWnGEgxn0hMbePIS8GoxkMgxkzCQOJy74UaCgQRj2+HEBgkeAwJa8r9JJBgcTje4kf75B+M/orTksEkcSDicYHADaB1jAxFaJG6kmUk2HDhsuLPnTZlFwrF04zaeHPxa+GckP5P88eewvDl7+uYbH2qsZfvZz+DXggoSgJiNBPWjYBSMglEwCnAAAI/BRfxdRcLpAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0980-5350","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zuzheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":505163684,"identity":"4bfebdfc-0976-4cd0-a320-c5ab60eb941a","order_by":1,"name":"Huishan Fu","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4701-7219","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Huishan","middleName":"","lastName":"Fu","suffix":""},{"id":505163685,"identity":"0fdbe80f-4647-4b8b-bc7b-7d64b9ca44a8","order_by":2,"name":"Jinbin Cao","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5637-2976","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jinbin","middleName":"","lastName":"Cao","suffix":""},{"id":505163686,"identity":"3288e6b3-b725-4a48-a3b8-0601ada593c8","order_by":3,"name":"Jiang Yu","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4450-541X","institution":"Sun Yat-sen University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jiang","middleName":"","lastName":"Yu","suffix":""},{"id":505163687,"identity":"76a74b94-df94-496f-aaac-7993e76df935","order_by":4,"name":"Olivier Le Contel","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2713-7966","institution":"CNRS/Sorbonne Université/Université Parsi-Saclay/Observatoire de Paris/Ecole Polytechnique Institut Polytechnique de Paris","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Olivier","middleName":"Le","lastName":"Contel","suffix":""},{"id":505163688,"identity":"c3054887-6763-4838-8bab-59ea8a3bc35c","order_by":5,"name":"Christopher Russell","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of California, Los Angeles","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Christopher","middleName":"","lastName":"Russell","suffix":""},{"id":505163689,"identity":"4ee77c29-30bb-4cd8-9163-9a775c54e072","order_by":6,"name":"Craig Pollock","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Denali Scientific","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Craig","middleName":"","lastName":"Pollock","suffix":""},{"id":505163690,"identity":"754c39e5-6791-4d04-b8cb-bce0e1a66daf","order_by":7,"name":"P.-A. 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Compared to the traditional standard magnetic reconnection with ion coupling, the recently discovered electron-only magnetic reconnection operates at strikingly diminutive spatial scales, imposing formidable observational constraints on resolving its intrinsic physical processes, most critically within its core region—near the X-line. Consequently, the intrinsic mechanism governing electron-only magnetic reconnection remains largely enigmatic. Leveraging high-resolution data from NASA’s MMS mission, we present unprecedented observations of two types of whistler waves in electron-only magnetic reconnection: right-handed whistler waves near the X-line, excited by perpendicular anisotropy electron distributions via second order cyclotron resonance, contrasted by left-handed whistler waves in the outflow jet. The outflow-associated whistler waves reside within a magnetic hole coupled to the Hall magnetic field. 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