Detection of oppositely directed reconnection jets in a solar wind current sheet

Abstract

We report the first two‐spacecraft (Wind and ACE) detection of oppositely directed plasma jets within a bifurcated current sheet in the solar wind. The event occurred on January 3, 2003 and provides further direct evidence that such jets result from reconnection. The magnetic shear across the bifurcated current sheet at both Wind and ACE was ∼150°, indicating that the magnetic shear must have been the same at the reconnection site located between the two spacecraft. These observations thus provide strong evidence for component merging with a guide field ∼ 30% of the antiparallel field. The dimensionless reconnection rate based on the measured inflow was 0.03, implying fast reconnection.