# Energy Partition of Thermal and Nonthermal Particles in Magnetic Reconnection

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how magnetic reconnection redistributes energy between thermal and nonthermal particles, revealing that relativistic conditions favor nonthermal acceleration, while guide magnetic fields influence the efficiency of energy conversion.

## Contribution

It provides new insights into the energy partitioning during magnetic reconnection, highlighting the roles of plasma temperature and guide magnetic fields in both relativistic and nonrelativistic regimes.

## Key findings

- Nonthermal energy can exceed 90% in relativistic reconnection with weak guide fields.
- Guide magnetic fields suppress nonthermal particle acceleration in relativistic reconnection.
- In nonrelativistic reconnection, most energy heats the plasma, but moderate guide fields enhance nonthermal acceleration.

## Abstract

Magnetic reconnection has long been known to be the most important mechanism as quick conversion of magnetic field energy into plasma kinetic energy. In addition, energy dissipation by reconnection has gained attention not only as a plasma heating mechanism, but also as a plasma mechanism for accelerating nonthermal particles. However, the energy partitioning of thermal and nonthermal plasmas during magnetic reconnection is not understood. Here, we studied energy partition as a function of plasma sheet temperature and guide magnetic field. In relativistic reconnection with anti-parallel magnetic field or weak guide magnetic field, it was found that the nonthermal energy density can occupy more than $90 \%$ of the total kinetic plasma energy density, but strengthening the guide magnetic field suppresses the efficiency of the nonthermal particle acceleration. In nonrelativistic reconnection for anti-parallel magnetic field, most dissipated magnetic field energy is converted into thermal plasma heating. For a weak guide magnetic field with a moderate value, however, the nonthermal particle acceleration efficiency was enhanced, but strengthening the guide-field beyond the moderate value suppresses the efficiency.