Plasma flow reversal region

This animation illustrates the complex structure of the magnetic field within a plasma flow reversal region.

The above region was encountered by the four Cluster satellites on 8 August 2003. The magnetic field lines are shown in purple, the plasma flow vectors are in green, and the current disruption sites are in red. It puts forward the idea that disruption of electric current occurs intermittently in several sites within the flow reversal region.

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