Electron Acceleration during Macroscale Magnetic Reconnection

Authors

H. Arnold, University of Maryland, College Park
J. F. Drake, University of Maryland, College Park
M. Swisdak, University of Maryland, College Park
F. Guo, Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. T. Dahlin, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
B. Chen, New Jersey Institute of Technology
G. Fleishman, New Jersey Institute of Technology
L. Glesener, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
E. Kontar, University of Glasgow
T. Phan, University of California, Berkeley
C. Shen, Harvard University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-30-2021

Abstract

The first self-consistent simulations of electron acceleration during magnetic reconnection in a macroscale system are presented. Consistent with solar flare observations, the spectra of energetic electrons take the form of power laws that extend more than two decades in energy. The drive mechanism for these nonthermal electrons is Fermi reflection in growing and merging magnetic flux ropes. A strong guide field suppresses the production of nonthermal electrons by weakening the Fermi drive mechanism. For a weak guide field the total energy content of nonthermal electrons dominates that of the hot thermal electrons even though their number density remains small. Our results are benchmarked with the hard x-ray, radio, and extreme ultraviolet observations of the X8.2-class solar flare on September 10, 2017.

Identifier

85104477638 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.135101

e-ISSN

10797114

ISSN

00319007

PubMed ID

33861105

Issue

13

Volume

126

Grant

80NSSC20K1318

Fund Ref

U.S. Department of Energy

Recommended Citation

Arnold, H.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.; Guo, F.; Dahlin, J. T.; Chen, B.; Fleishman, G.; Glesener, L.; Kontar, E.; Phan, T.; and Shen, C., "Electron Acceleration during Macroscale Magnetic Reconnection" (2021). Faculty Publications. 4230.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/fac_pubs/4230