Interpretation of particle acceleration in a simulation study of collisionless reconnection

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.872495· OSTI ID:538490

Litvinenko, Y E ^[1]

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1. Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824-3525 (United States)

A recent simulation study [Horiuchi and Sato, Phys. Plasmas {bold 4}, 277 (1997)] investigated collisionless magnetic reconnection in a sheared magnetic field. Theoretical models for particle acceleration in current sheets are used to interpret some of the simulation results, which are found to be consistent with analytical expressions for values of the electron energy gain, the acceleration time, and the longitudinal magnetic field giving rise to adiabatic particle motion. The simulation also identified an ion acceleration mechanism that will require additional theoretical study. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 538490
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 4; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
PLASMA ACCELERATION
PLASMA SIMULATION
TRAJECTORIES