Figure 3.

Three simulation timeframes (simulation box: 6 < X [RE] < 11 and −1 < Z [RE] < 4 at t = 2,106.0, 2,119.0, and 2,131.0 s since the simulation initialization) to illustrate the temporal evolution of a magnetic island in the northern hemisphere magnetosheath. The color bar indicates E _x. The magenta “X” markers indicate the X‐points, that is, saddle points in the magnetic flux function. The reconnecting field lines are shown in green. The newly formed magnetic island located between X1 and X2 is shown in cyan. The dashed lines in panel b provide two virtual spacecraft trajectories, T1 and T2.