Ng, JonathanEgedal, J.Le, A.Daughton, W.Chen, L.-J.2021-07-262021-07-262011-02-10Ng, Jonathan et al.; Kinetic Structure of the Electron Diffusion Region in Antiparallel Magnetic Reconnection; Physical Review Letters, 106, 065002, 10 February, 2011; https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.065002https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.065002http://hdl.handle.net/11603/22120Strong electron pressure anisotropy has been observed upstream of electron diffusion regions during reconnection in Earth’s magnetotail and kinetic simulations. For collisionless antiparallel reconnection, we find that the anisotropy drives the electron current in the electron diffusion region, and that this current is insensitive to the reconnection electric field. Reconstruction of the electron distribution function within this region at enhanced resolutions reveals its highly structured nature and the mechanism by which the pressure anisotropy sets the structure of the region.4 pagesen-USThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.Public Domain Mark 1.0This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/Text