Impact of Mass-Loading Effect on the Competition in the Energy Conversion Rate During Magnetic Reconnection.

Heavy particles are extensively detected in the space environment, especially in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetosphere. Various physical processes can be affected by the physical dynamics of heavy particles. One of the processes is magnetic reconnection, which converts the energy from the magnetic field to the particles. In the present study, we investigate the impact of heavy particles with increasing mass (i.e., mass-loading effect) on energy conversion rate during magnetic reconnection. The declined reconnection rate and energy conversion rates by this effect are captured as reported previously. After considering three major regions in reconnection, it reveals that the mass-loading effect decreases more energy conversion rate of positive species at the separatrix, affects the heavier species less in the inner electron diffusion region (EDR), and propels the formation of a non-zero electric field at reconnection front (RF). Our results provide a more comprehensive understanding of the magnetic reconnection with complicated plasma components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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