Non-thermal electron acceleration from magnetically driven reconnection in a laboratory plasma

Chien, Abraham; Gao, Lan; Zhang, Shu; Ji, Hantao; Blackman, Eric G.; Daughton, W.; Stanier, Adam; Lê, A.; Guo, Fan; Follett, Russ; Chen, Hui; Fiksel, G.; Bleotu, Gabriel; Cauble, R.; Chen, S. N.; Fazzini, A.; Flippo, K. A.; French, Omar; Froula, D. H.; Fuchs, Julien; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Hill, K. W.; Klein, Sallee; Kuranz, Carolyn; Nilson, P.M.; Rasmus, Alexander; Takizawa, Ryunosuke

doi:10.1038/s41567-022-01839-x

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…This agrees well with space, where j e⊥ • E ⊥ is strongest near the stagnation point (Burch et al 2016;Yamada et al 2018). Furthermore, the perpendicular electric field near the X-point is dominated by the out-of-the-plane reconnection electric field, which can directly accelerate electrons (Zenitani and Hoshino 2001) as shown during a magnetotail reconnection event measured by MMS (Torbert et al 2018), and also recently during anti-parallel reconnection driven by lasers (Chien et al 2023) where an accelerated electron beam was detected.…”

Section: Magnetic Energy Dissipation At the X-pointsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Electron jets at the electron Alfvén speed have been directly detected by Thomson scattering diagnostics during guide field electron-only reconnection (Shi et al 2022). More recently, non-thermal electrons with energies of ∼ 100T e due to the reconnection electric field of anti-parallel reconnection at low-β driven by lasers were directly detected with an angular dependence consistent with simulation (Chien et al 2023). The later supports an astrophysical conjecture to accelerate electrons by reconnection to high energies beyond the synchrotron burnoff limit (Cerutti et al 2013).…”

Section: Energy Conversionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…linear plasma merging, electron-only / heating Shi et al (2022) Capacitor coil powered by laser / U. Rochester current sheet / electron acceleration, waves Chien et al (2023), Zhang et al (2023) FLARE / Princeton axisymmetric current sheet / multiscale Ji et al (2018 fusion research. These were followed by driven reconnection experiments in an axisymmetric geometry: Magnetic Reconnection Experiment or MRX (Yamada et al 1997), Versatile Toroidal Facility or VTF (Egedal et al 2000), and Terrestrial Reconnection Experiment or TREX (Olson et al 2016); and in a linear geometry: Rotating Wall Experiment (RWX) (Bergerson et al 2006), Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) (Intrator et al 2009), and the more recent Phase Space Mapping experiment (PHASMA) (Shi et al 2022).…”

Section: Using Technologies Developed During Nuclearmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There exist also experiments using Z-pinches (Hare et al 2017) and lasers (e.g. Chien et al 2023) in relevant conditions. A non-exhaustive list of relevant experiments to this paper are listed in Table 1, including the upcoming Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments or FLARE (Ji et al 2018.…”

Section: Using Technologies Developed During Nuclearmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Laboratory Study of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection

Ji,

Yoo,

Fox

et al. 2023

Space Sci Rev

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A concise review is given on the past two decades’ results from laboratory experiments on collisionless magnetic reconnection in direct relation with space measurements, especially by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Highlights include spatial structures of electromagnetic fields in ion and electron diffusion regions as a function of upstream symmetry and guide field strength, energy conversion and partitioning from magnetic field to ions and electrons including particle acceleration, electrostatic and electromagnetic kinetic plasma waves with various wavelengths, and plasmoid-mediated multiscale reconnection. Combined with the progress in theoretical, numerical, and observational studies, the physics foundation of fast reconnection in collisionless plasmas has been largely established, at least within the parameter ranges and spatial scales that were studied. Immediate and long-term future opportunities based on multiscale experiments and space missions supported by exascale computation are discussed, including dissipation by kinetic plasma waves, particle heating and acceleration, and multiscale physics across fluid and kinetic scales.

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Section: Magnetic Energy Dissipation At the X-pointsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Energy Conversionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Using Technologies Developed During Nuclearmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Using Technologies Developed During Nuclearmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Laboratory Study of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection

Ji,

Yoo,

Fox

et al. 2023

Space Sci Rev

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“…Shu et al [19] pointed that the ion acoustic and electron acoustic bursts can lead to electron heating and bulk acceleration. Abraham et al [20] reported the out-ofplane reconnection electric field had the direct capability to accelerate electrons.…”

Section: Open Access Edited Bymentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetohydrodynamics simulation of magnetic reconnection process based on the laser-driven Helmholtz capacitor-coil targets

Xing,

Ping,

Zhao

et al. 2024

Front. Phys.

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Magnetic reconnection is an important rapid energy release mechanism in astrophysics. Magnetic energy can be effectively converted into plasma kinetic energy, thermal energy, and radiation energy. This study is based on the magnetohydrodynamics simulation method and utilizes the FLASH code to investigate the laser-driven magnetic reconnection physical process of the Helmholtz capacitor-coil target. The simulation model incorporates the laser driving effect, and the external magnetic field consistent with the Helmholtz capacitor-coil target is written in. This approach achieves a magnetic reconnection process that is more consistent with the experiment. By changing the resistivity, subtle differences in energy conversion during the evolution of magnetic reconnection are observed. Under conditions of low resistivity, there is a more pronounced increase in the thermal energy of ions compared to other energy components. In simulations with high resistivity, the increase in electrons thermal energy is more prominent. The simulation gives the evolution trajectory of magnetic reconnection, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. This has important reference value for experimental research on the low-β magnetic reconnection.

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