Global Hybrid Simulation of Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosheath

A three-dimensional (3-D) global hybrid simulation is carried out for the generation and structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath due to interaction of an interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity (TD) with the bow shock and magnetosphere. Runs are performed for solar wind TDs possessing different initial half-widths. As the TD propagates through the bow shock toward the magnetopause, it is greatly narrowed by a two-step compression processes, a "shock compression" followed by a subsequent "convective compression". In cases with a relatively thin solar wind TD, 3-D patchy reconnection is initiated in the transmitted TD, forming magnetosheath flux ropes. Multiple components of ion particles are present in the velocity distribution in the magnetosheath merging, accompanied by ion heating. For cases with a relatively wide initial TD, a dominant single X-line appears in the subsolar magnetosheath after the transmitted TD is narrowed. A shock analysis is performed for the detailed structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath. Rotational Discontinuity (RD)/Time-Dependent Intermediate Shock (TDIS) are found to dominate the reconnection layer, which and some weak slow shocks are responsible for the ion heating and acceleration.