行星际磁重联的观测与研究

Observations and Researches on Interplanetary Magnetic Reconnection

近50多年来,磁重联的概念越来越多地被应用到空间物理领域中,用以解释地球磁层、太阳大气以及行星际空间等环境下发生的爆发性物理现象。从观测方面对当前行星际磁重联研究的现状做了概述。首先介绍了磁重联的理论模型,接着回顾了行星际磁重联观测研究的历史,随后介绍了当前行星际磁重联的证认方法及磁云边界层磁重联在观测上的研究现状及存在的问题,然后分别介绍了近些年来,单飞船及多飞船联合观测的结果,最后总结了行星际磁重联现象的特点以及一些尚未解决的问题。

In the past decades, the concept of Magnetic Reconnection (MR) in space physics has been increasingly applied to explain the explosive phenomena in the Earth’s magneto-sphere, the solar atmosphere and the interplanetary space. Interplanetary space provides a new laboratory for tests of MR models. Studies on MR events happening in interplanetary space offer valuable new insights because the magnetic shear is variable, and the boundary conditions are more symmetric and more stable than those in other environments. Another advantage is that the embedded structure of solar wind passing through spacecraft rapidly can be in-situ observed. However, the study of interplanetary MR started relatively late. This paper gives an overview of the current status of interplanetary MR research. First, the characteristics of MR and the related theoretical models are described. Then we review the development history of MR in interplanetary space. In the relevant sections, the general criteria of interplanetary MR and the identification of MR in the in-situ solar wind mea-surements are presented. The research status of the MR in the Magnetic Cloud Boundary Layer is described and the related problems are discussed. We introduce the latest results of single point spacecraft measurements and multiple spacecraft observations of MR exhaust, respectively. In conclusion, we summarize the properties of interplanetary MR and discuss the issues to be pursued in future research.