Preliminary Results on Favorable Conditions for Electron Heating and Acceleration during Magnetic Reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental energy conversion process occurred when two oppositely directed magnetic field lines break and reconnect, in which the stored magnetic energy is converted into plasma kinetic and thermal energy. This paper aims to examine the favorable conditions for electron heating and acceleration during reconnection. Two reconnection events observed by Cluster spacecraft in the magnetotail were studied, in which a magnetic X-line was encountered. Preliminary results show that (1) thin plasma sheet has a strong current density as expected, (2) electrons are mainly accelerated along the field-aligned direction, and (3) energetic electron fluxes are enhanced for thin plasma sheet. More reconnection events and other reconnection properties (e.g., reconnection electric field and the normal electric field) will be analyzed for a statistical study.