The Role of Electron Acceleration in Quick Reconnection Triggering

Author(s):  
Masaki Fujimoto ◽  
Iku Shinohara
2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Artemyev ◽  
M. Hoshino ◽  
V. N. Lutsenko ◽  
A. A. Petrukovich ◽  
S. Imada ◽  
...  

Abstract. In this paper, we consider electron acceleration in the vicinity of X-line and corresponding formation of energy spectra. We develop an analytical model including the effect of the electron trapping by electrostatic fields and surfing acceleration. Speiser, Fermi and betatron mechanisms of acceleration are also taken into account. Analytical estimates are verified by the numerical integration of electron trajectories. The surfing mechanism and adiabatic heating are responsible for the formation of the double power-law spectrum in agreement with the previous studies. The energy of the spectrum knee is about ~150 keV for typical conditions of the Earth magnetotail. We compare theoretical results with the spacecraft observations of electron double power-law spectra in the magnetotail and demonstrate that the theory is able to describe typical energy of the spectra knee. We also estimate the role of relativistic effects and magnetic field fluctuations on the electron acceleration: the acceleration is more stable for relativistic electrons, while fluctuations of the magnetic field cannot significantly decrease the gained energy for typical magnetospheric conditions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Trotta ◽  
Luca Franci ◽  
David Burgess ◽  
Petr Hellinger ◽  
Joe Giacalone

<p>Energetic particles are widely observed in many astrophysical systems, but the physical mechanisms responsible for their acceleration are not yet fully understood. We address the interaction of suprathermal, transrelativistic electrons with plasma turbulence at ion and sub-ion scales using a combination of hybrid particle-in-cell and test particle simulations. First, we present results of simulations with different turbulence amplitude. Two different mechanisms for electron energisation are identified: one is consistent with the picture of stochastic acceleration in turbulence, yielding to moderate electron energisation, while the other one involves electron trapping in turbulent structures, resulting in an efficient and fast electron energisation. The latter is observed to be active only for certain combinations of turbulence amplitude and electron initial energy. Furthermore, varying the injection scale, we explore the importance of the size of turbulent magnetic structures and of the nonlinear time associated to their dynamical evolution on electron acceleration. These results have important implications for electron acceleration in a wide range of space and astrophysical systems.</p>


JAMA ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 195 (12) ◽  
pp. 1005-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Fernbach
Keyword(s):  

JAMA ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 195 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Van Metre

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