Fig. 4. Comparison between MMS2 observations and PIC simulations of electron reconnection.

The MMS observations are on the left, and the PIC simulation results along the virtual MMS spacecraft trajectory (L = −16.1d_i at $t=63{\mathrm{\Omega }}_{\mathrm{i}0}^{-1}$, as shown in Fig. 3b) are on the right. a, i Magnetic field; b, j current density calculated using $\mathbf{j}=e{n}_{\mathrm{e}}\left({\mathbf{V}}_{\mathrm{i}}-{\mathbf{V}}_{\mathrm{e}}\right)$; c, k ion bulk velocity; d, l electron bulk velocity; e, m electron density; f, n ion temperature; g, o electron temperature; h, p energy conversion j · E′. Photo electrons with energies <96 eV are excluded in the calculation of electron density, bulk velocity, and temperature. In the PIC simulations, magnetic field is in unit of B₀, current density is in unit of en₀V_eA, ion bulk velocity is in unit of V_A, electron bulk velocity is in unit of V_eA, electron density is in unit of n₀, electron and ion temperatures are in unit of $m_{\mathrm{i}}{V}_{\mathrm{A}}^2$, and j · E′ is in unit of $e{n}_0{V}_{\mathrm{A}}^2{B}_0$.