Energy Conversion and Inventory of a Prototypical Magnetic Reconnection layer

A comparative review study is made to find basic mechanisms of energy conversion and partitioning in a prototypical magnetic reconnection layer. The recent results from three different disciplines, laboratory experiments, space observations, and numerical simulations, are reviewed. Our quantitative studies of the acceleration and heating of both electrons and ions in the MRX (Magnetic Reconnection Experiment) laboratory experiment and our supporting numerical studies demonstrate that a half of the incoming magnetic energy is converted to particle energy with a remarkably fast speed. Comparing the results from numerical simulations and the MRX experiments, a systematic study is made on the effects of boundary conditions on the energy inventory. In our studies of a relatively wide range of monitoring box sizes in both MRX and 2D simulations, it is observed that 50 % of the inflowing magnetic energy is converted to particle energy, of which 2/3 is ultimately transferred to ions and 1/3 to electrons. These results are also consistent with the recent space measurements in the magnetotail reconnection layer by Eastwood et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett.