# Electron Acceleration during Macroscale Non-Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection

 dc.contributor.advisor Drake, James en_US dc.contributor.author Arnold, Harry en_US dc.date.accessioned 2021-07-07T05:36:32Z dc.date.available 2021-07-07T05:36:32Z dc.date.issued 2021 en_US dc.identifier https://doi.org/10.13016/zc8d-fumf dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1903/27242 dc.description.abstract In this thesis we developed the new model {\it kglobal} for the purpose of studying nonthermal electron acceleration in macroscale magnetic reconnection. Unlike PIC codes we can simulate macroscale domains, and unlike MHD codes we can simulate particles that feedback onto the fluids so that the total energy of the system is conserved. This has never been done before. We have benchmarked the model by simulating Alfv\'en waves with electron pressure anisotropy, the growth of the firehose instability, and the growth of electron acoustic waves. We then studied the results of magnetic reconnection and found clear power-law tails that can extend for more than two decades in energy with a power-law index that decreases with the strength of the guide field. Reconnection in systems with guide fields approaching unity produce practically no nonthermal electrons. For weak guide fields the model is extremely efficient in producing nonthermal electrons. The nonthermals contain up to $\sim80\%$ of the electron energy in our lowest guide field simulation. These results are generally consistent with flare observations and specifically the measurements of the September 10, 2017, flare. en_US dc.language.iso en en_US dc.title Electron Acceleration during Macroscale Non-Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection en_US dc.type Dissertation en_US dc.contributor.publisher Digital Repository at the University of Maryland en_US dc.contributor.publisher University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) en_US dc.contributor.department Physics en_US dc.subject.pqcontrolled Plasma physics en_US
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