Radiative Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection: An Approach to Remote Probing of Reconnection Dynamics

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection drives a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including geomagnetic storms, solar flares, and activity in blazars. However, direct measurement of key reconnection observables remains challenging due to the remote and extreme nature of these environments. While high-energy particle showers observed on Earth are often attributed to reconnection, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, and clear diagnostic signatures are lacking. We present a theoretical, data-driven approach for identifying reconnection radiation signatures and enabling remote diagnostics of reconnection in astrophysical settings through radiation spectra. Using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of magnetic reconnection, we generate radiation spectra and establish connections between spectral features and the underlying reconnection dynamics. We develop a method to estimate the ratio of the reconnection electric field to the plasmoid magnetic field from spectral data. Analytic calculations show that other parameters can be extracted in the ultra-relativistic reconnection regime, such as the magnetic field or the current sheet width.