Whistler waves associated with magnetic reconnection

A two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation in a large system demonstrates that whistler waves are generated and associated with magnetic reconnection. The whistlers are driven by the electron temperature anisotropy formed in the downstream region of the electron outflow, where the magnetic field is intensified due to the pileup of the field lines. The anisotropic electrons are mainly produced by the adiabatic heating in the perpendicular direction. The present results indicate no evidence that the whistler waves control the dissipation processes in the electron diffusion region, while they scatter the electrons in the pitch-angle distribution and somewhat contribute to the electron momentum transport along the field lines. The wave properties in the present simulation are well consistent with recent Cluster observations.