Nonthermal electron and ion acceleration by magnetic reconnection in large laser-driven plasmas
Abstract
Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that is thought to play a key role in the production of nonthermal particles associated with explosive phenomena in space physics and astrophysics. Experiments at high-energy-density facilities are starting to probe the microphysics of reconnection at high Lundquist numbers and large system sizes. We have performed particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to explore particle acceleration for parameters relevant to laser-driven reconnection experiments. We study particle acceleration in large system sizes that may be produced soon with the most energetic laser drivers available, such as at the National Ignition Facility. In these conditions, we show the possibility of reaching the multi-plasmoid regime, where plasmoid acceleration becomes dominant. Our results show the transition from X point to plasmoid-dominated acceleration associated with the merging and contraction of plasmoids that further extend the maximum energy of the power-law tail of the particle distribution for electrons. We also find for the first time a system-size-dependent emergence of nonthermal ion acceleration in driven reconnection, where the magnetization of ions at sufficiently large sizes allows them to be contained by the magnetic field and energized by direct X point acceleration. For feasible experimental conditions, electrons and ions can attain energies of and . Using PIC simulations with binary Monte Carlo Coulomb collisions, we study the impact of collisionality on plasmoid formation and particle acceleration. The implications of these results for understanding the role reconnection plays in accelerating particles in space physics and astrophysics are discussed.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
[4]
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); National Inst. of Natural Sciences, Tokyo (Japan)
- Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1769401
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1777535
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NNH15ZDA001N-LWS; AC02-76SF00515; AC02-06CH11357; FWP 100331
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physics of Plasmas
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 27; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; Magnetic reconnection; Particle acceleration; Particle-in-cell method; Plasma collisions; Astrophysics; Magnetospheric plasmas; Space plasma physics
Citation Formats
Totorica, S. R., Hoshino, M., Abel, T., and Fiuza, F. Nonthermal electron and ion acceleration by magnetic reconnection in large laser-driven plasmas. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1063/5.0021169.
Totorica, S. R., Hoshino, M., Abel, T., & Fiuza, F. Nonthermal electron and ion acceleration by magnetic reconnection in large laser-driven plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0021169
Totorica, S. R., Hoshino, M., Abel, T., and Fiuza, F. Wed .
"Nonthermal electron and ion acceleration by magnetic reconnection in large laser-driven plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0021169. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1769401.
@article{osti_1769401,
title = {Nonthermal electron and ion acceleration by magnetic reconnection in large laser-driven plasmas},
author = {Totorica, S. R. and Hoshino, M. and Abel, T. and Fiuza, F.},
abstractNote = {Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that is thought to play a key role in the production of nonthermal particles associated with explosive phenomena in space physics and astrophysics. Experiments at high-energy-density facilities are starting to probe the microphysics of reconnection at high Lundquist numbers and large system sizes. We have performed particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to explore particle acceleration for parameters relevant to laser-driven reconnection experiments. We study particle acceleration in large system sizes that may be produced soon with the most energetic laser drivers available, such as at the National Ignition Facility. In these conditions, we show the possibility of reaching the multi-plasmoid regime, where plasmoid acceleration becomes dominant. Our results show the transition from X point to plasmoid-dominated acceleration associated with the merging and contraction of plasmoids that further extend the maximum energy of the power-law tail of the particle distribution for electrons. We also find for the first time a system-size-dependent emergence of nonthermal ion acceleration in driven reconnection, where the magnetization of ions at sufficiently large sizes allows them to be contained by the magnetic field and energized by direct X point acceleration. For feasible experimental conditions, electrons and ions can attain energies of ϵ max , e / k B T e > 100 and ϵ max , i / k B T i > 1000. Using PIC simulations with binary Monte Carlo Coulomb collisions, we study the impact of collisionality on plasmoid formation and particle acceleration. The implications of these results for understanding the role reconnection plays in accelerating particles in space physics and astrophysics are discussed.},
doi = {10.1063/5.0021169},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 11,
volume = 27,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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