NONTHERMAL ACCELERATION FROM RECONNECTION SHOCKS

Reconnection shocks in a magnetically dominated plasma must be compressive. Nonthermal on acceleration can occur across built-in slow shocks and across outflow fast shocks when the outflow is supermagnetic and the field is line yield. Electron acceleration may be initiated by injection from the dissipation region. Reconnection and shock acceleration thus cooperate and nonthermal acceleration should be a characteristic feature. © 1994 The American Physical Society.