Magnetic reconnection and plasma turbulence both produce complex three-dimensional magnetic configurations which can be probed with high cadence multi-spacecraft magnetic field observations. These observations allow for the local magnetic field gradient tensor reconstruction and classification of the magnetic field structures based on the eigenvalues of the tensor. We present results of two studies where the reconstruction of the magnetic field configuration provided a new insight into complex plasma dynamics and plasma heating mechanisms. First, we examine magnetopause reconnection where the MMS spacecraft encounter the Electron Diffusion Region (EDR) [1]. We found: (i) magnetic structures frozen into the electron fluid with features similar to dynamically evolving vortices in hydrodynamic turbulence, and (ii) accelerated electrons in the EDR edge where two-dimensional sheet-like structures are observed. This is consistent with sub-ion scale turbulence suppressing electron acceleration within the EDR. The second study analyses the energy transfer rate conditioned on the magnetic field line topology of the associated structures obtained from the Cluster spacecraft on scale of approximately 40 proton gyro-radii in the solar wind [2]. We determine how the global mean energy transfer rates correlate with the magnetic configuration of the turbulence.

[1] Hnat, B., Chapman, S., & Watkins, N. (2023), Scientific Reports, 13(1), 18665.

[2] Hnat, B., Chapman, S. C., Liptrott, C. M., & Watkins, N. W. (2025), Physical Review Research, 7(4), 043058.