Three species reconnection: Effect of O+ on magnetotail
reconnection

Michael Shay, University of Maryland

Although much progress has been made recently in understanding
reconnection in a plasma composed of electrons and protons, many plasmas
contain a third heavier charged species. Example of this are O+ in the
Earth's magnetotail and dusty astrophysical plasmas. Using theoretical
arguments and three-fluid simulations, we examine reconnection in a
three-species plasma. Besides the usual two length scales present in
two-species reconnection, there are two additional larger length scales in
the system: one associated with a "heavy whistler'' which produces a large
scale quadrupolar out-of-plane magnetic field, and one associated with the
"heavy Alfven" wave which can slow the outflow speed and thus the
reconnection rate. The consequences for reconnection in the magnetotail
will be discussed.