Science operations were guided by the following priorities during the time periods indicated.
The scientific objective of the MMS mission is to:
Understand the microphysics of magnetic reconnection by determining the kinetic processes occurring in the electron diffusion region that are responsible for collisionless magnetic reconnection, especially how reconnection is initiated.
Specifically, and in priority order, MMS will address three specific objectives:
Determine the role played by ion inertial effects in the physics of magnetic reconnection.
1. Investigate magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth space environment 1.1 Reconnection in the nightside magnetosphere 2. Study the processes that heat plasma populations and accelerate particles to large energies 2.1 The dissipation of magnetic energy during reconnection – electron and ion heating 3. Study the way turbulent processes interact on kinetic scales 3.1 Turbulence in the Magnetosheath and Soalr Wind 4. Investigate the microphysics of collisionless shocks 4.1 Transient ion foreshock phenomena |
MMS orbits projected into the X-Y GSE and GSM planes |
foreshock phenomena and effect | downstream | near-Earth neutral line, transport and |