Multiple Reconnection X-Lines at the Magnetopause and Overlapping Cusp Ion Injections

Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations during an extended crossing of the Earth's dayside magnetopause show evidence of multiple reconnections at the boundary. This crossing occurred when the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) was southward and had a significant B-Y component. Approximately 2 hr after this crossing, the Twin Rocket Investigation of Cusp Electrodynamics-2 rockets were launched into the northern hemisphere cusp and observed overlapping cusp ion injections. These overlapping injections are also evidence of multiple reconnections at the magnetopause. Observations more than 2 hr apart do not constitute conjunction between the spacecraft and the rockets. However, the IMF conditions during the magnetopause crossing and the cusp traversal were very similar. Therefore, had the magnetopause crossings and cusp traversals occurred at the same time, the observations would have been similar. Thus, these two events illustrate the link between multiple reconnections at the magnetopause and overlapping cusp ion injections.