Nonthermal Electron Energization from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-driven Plasmas

"Nonthermal Electron Energization from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-driven Plasmas" -- Samuel Totorica, Stanford University

Particle acceleration induced by magnetic reconnection is thought to be a promising candidate for producing the nonthermal emissions associated with explosive phenomena such as solar flares, pulsar wind nebulae, and jets from active galactic nuclei; however, the dominant acceleration mechanisms, their efficiency, and spectral signatures are not yet fully understood. Laboratory experiments can play an important role in the study of particle acceleration by reconnection. We have used particle-in-cell simulations to study particle acceleration in regimes associated with laser-driven plasma experiments. For current experimental conditions, we show that nonthermal electrons can be accelerated to energies more than an order of magnitude larger than the initial thermal energy. We provide an analytical estimate of the maximum electron energy and threshold condition for observing suprathermal electron acceleration in terms of experimentally tunable parameters. These results open the way for a new platform for the experimental study of particle acceleration induced by reconnection.