The effect of a parallel velocity shear on the explosive phase of a double current sheet system is investigated within the 2D resistive magnetohydrodynamic framework. We further explore the effect of this shear on acceleration of test particles. The general evolution pattern of the double current sheets is similar for all sub-Alfvénic shears with respect to the initial transient phase, the onset of the plasmoid instability, and the final relaxation phase. We find that the theoretical scaling of the reconnection rate with shear holds if the rate is measured when the islands have a similar size. The larger island widths for lower shears greatly enhance the reconnection rate during the explosive phase. We have further examined the modification of the energy spectrum of the accelerated particles in the presence of a shear. Our results also show that the flow only modifies the high energy tail of the particle spectrum and has negligible effect on the power-law index. Individual particle trajectories help to explore the various mechanisms associated with the acceleration. Based on the location of the particles, the acceleration mechanisms are found to vary. We highlight the importance of the convective electric field in the inflow as well as the outflow region inside large magnetic islands in the acceleration of particles. The interaction and reflection of the particles with the reconnection exhausts inside the large scale primary magnetic islands is found to have a significant effect on the energization of the particles.
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August 2021
Research Article|
August 16 2021
Effects of a velocity shear on double current sheet systems: Explosive reconnection and particle acceleration
Arghyadeep Paul
;
Arghyadeep Paul
a)
Department of Astronomy Astrophysics and Space Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore
, Khandwa Road, Simrol, Indore 453552, India
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: arghyadeepp@gmail.com
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Bhargav Vaidya
Bhargav Vaidya
b)
Department of Astronomy Astrophysics and Space Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore
, Khandwa Road, Simrol, Indore 453552, India
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: arghyadeepp@gmail.com
Phys. Plasmas 28, 082903 (2021)
Article history
Received:
April 19 2021
Accepted:
July 27 2021
Citation
Arghyadeep Paul, Bhargav Vaidya; Effects of a velocity shear on double current sheet systems: Explosive reconnection and particle acceleration. Phys. Plasmas 1 August 2021; 28 (8): 082903. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0054501
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