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Media Title
Magneto Disconnection
Image
computer image of magneto disconnection
Image courtesy of NASA/IBEX Science Team
Caption
IBEX observed an energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux enhancement that appears to be caused by plasma sheet disconnection occurring further down the magnetotail. A "plasmoid" — a dynamic event in which the magnetic fields "reconnect" across the plasma sheet — is one of several possible explanations.