Particle Acceleration by Turbulent Magnetohydrodynamic Reconnection

Abstract

Test-particle acceleration is studied in a two-dimensional, turbulent magnetohydrodynamic simulation whose initial magnetic field configuration is a periodic sheet pinch. Some test particles become trapped near large electric field in the reconnnection region for approximately an Alfvén transit time. The maximum speed attained is consistent with an analytic estimate which depends on the reconnection electric field, the Alfvén speed, and the ratio of Larmor period to the Alfvén transit time.