Development of a Turbulent Outflow During Electron-Positron Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract

The mass symmetry between the two species in electron-positron (pair) plasmas has interesting consequences for collisionless magnetic reconnection because the Hall term, which plays a crucial role in supporting fast reconnection in electron-proton plasmas, vanishes. We perform kinetic simulations of pair reconnection in systems of various sizes, show that it remains fast, and identify the reason why this occurs. For sufficiently large systems a Weibel-like temperature anisotropy instability develops in the outflow from the X-point that causes the current layer to broaden and form a Petschek-like open outflow. We discuss the parameter regimes in which pair reconnection should be fast and the implications for astrophysical pair plasmas.

Accepted by ApJ

References in corpus (4)

• Efficient acceleration and radiation in Poynting flux powered GRB outflows
• The Generation of Nonthermal Particles in the Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection of Pair Plasmas
• Two-scale structure of the electron dissipation region during collisionless magnetic reconnection
• The role of the Weibel instability at the reconnection jet front in relativistic pair plasma reconnection

Cited by in corpus (21)

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• Probing Ultrafast Magnetic-Field Generation by Current Filamentation Instability in Femtosecond Relativistic Laser-Matter Interactions
• The role of the Weibel instability at the reconnection jet front in relativistic pair plasma reconnection
• Orientation of x-lines in asymmetric magnetic reconnection - mass ratio dependency
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• Modeling Spectral Variability of Prompt GRB Emission within the Jitter Radiation Paradigm
• Instabilities of collisionless current sheets revisited: the role of anisotropic heating
• The Weibel Instability inside the Electron-Positron Harris Sheet
• On Particle Transport and Radiation Production in Sub-Larmor-Scale Electromagnetic Turbulence
• Multidimensional simulations of magnetic field amplification and electron acceleration to near-energy equipartition with ions by a mildly relativistic quasi-parallel plasma collision
• Angular Dependence of Jitter Radiation Spectra from Small-Scale Magnetic Turbulence
• Transport of and Radiation Production by Trans-relativistic/Non-relativistic Particles Moving Through Sub-Larmor-Scale Electromagnetic Turbulence
• Transition to Petschek Reconnection in Subrelativistic Pair Plasmas: Implications for Particle Acceleration