Pair-loaded electron-only magnetic reconnection using laser-driven capacitor coils

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Abstract
We propose and simulate a laboratory platform to study the effects of positrons in magnetic reconnection using laser-driven capacitor coils. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we show that externally injected MeV electron-positron pairs are trapped in the coil current sheet, significantly modifying the reconnection dynamics and particle acceleration. These pairs increase the reconnection rate by a factor of approximately 8, which Ohm's law decomposition reveals to be driven by the divergence of the generalized pressure tensor. Based on their high energy and magnetization, the pairs also substantially broaden the diffusion region. Particle tracking simulations in realistic coil magnetic fields further demonstrate that injected pairs can remain confined for several picoseconds, providing conditions for sustained interaction with the reconnection region. These results establish a near-term pathway to first laboratory studies of positron-influenced reconnection, bridging high-energy-density experiments with pair-dominated astrophysical environments.
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Funding Information
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE-SC0020103)
  • National Science Foundation (2512021)
  • National Science Foundation (2108075)
  • National Science Foundation (2126181)
  • National Science Foundation (2206059)
  • National Science Foundation (PHY-2309135)
  • National Nuclear Security Administration (DE-NA0003869)
  • Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (80NSSC22M0097)

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