X marks the spot of magnetic reconnection, creating portals where the solar wind can enter Earth's magnetic field.
X marks the spot of magnetic reconnection, creating portals or openings where the solar wind can enter Earth’s magnetic field. Mingling lines of magnetic force from the sun and Earth criss-cross and join to create the openings. “X-points” are where the criss-cross takes place. The sudden joining of magnetic fields can propel jets of charged particles from the X-point, creating an “electron diffusion region.” Credit: Science@NASA
View associated news item at https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/mag-portals.html