Separation of accelerated electrons and positrons in the relativistic reconnection

TL;DR

This study uses 2.5-D particle-in-cell simulations to analyze how electrons and positrons are accelerated and spatially separated during relativistic magnetic reconnection, revealing potential implications for plasma physics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the effective acceleration and separation of electrons and positrons in relativistic reconnection using detailed simulations, extending previous analytical and test particle studies.

Findings

Electrons and positrons are effectively accelerated during reconnection.

Near X-points, electrons and positrons are spatially separated.

The separation may lead to global spatial segregation depending on magnetic connectivity.

Abstract

We study an acceleration of electrons and positrons in the relativistic magnetic field reconnection using a 2.5-D particle-in-cell electromagnetic relativistic code. We consider the model with two current sheets and periodic boundary conditions. The electrons and positrons are very effectively accelerated during the tearing and coalescence processes of the reconnection. We found that near the X-points of the reconnection the positions of electrons and positrons differ. This separation process is in agreement with those studied in the previous papers analytically or by test particle simulations. We expect that in dependence on the magnetic field connectivity this local separation can lead to global spatial separation of the accelerated electrons and positrons. A similar simulation in the electron-proton plasma with the proton-electron mass ratio m_i/m_e = 16 is made.