Speaker: Jason Tenbarge, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Abstract: Turbulence and magnetic reconnection are ubiquitous processes in space and astrophysical plasmas, and they play fundamental roles in transforming magnetic energy into kinetic and internal energies. Particle energization, especially in the context of reconnection, has frequently been examined from a particle, or Lagrangian, perspective employing guiding-center analyses to particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. These analyses of PIC particles have suggested that Fermi (curvature drift) acceleration and direct acceleration via the reconnection electric field are the primary electron energization mechanisms. However, both PIC guiding-center analyses and spacecraft observations are performed in an Eulerian frame. We employ continuum kinetic simulations using the Gkeyll simulation framework and the Hybrid-Vlasov–Maxwell (HVM) code to re-examine energization from a continuum, Eulerian perspective. We separately examine the contribution of each drift energization component to determine the dominant energization mechanisms in a moderate guide-field Gkeyll reconnection simulation as well as in HVM turbulence simulations. We compare the Eulerian results with the wisdom gained from Lagrangian (PIC) analyses.