Dong, Quan-Li, authorWang, Shou-Jun, authorLu, Quan-Ming, authorHuang, Can, authorYuan, Da-Wei, authorLiu, Xun, authorLin, Xiao-Xuan, authorLi, Yu-Tong, authorWei, Hui-Gang, authorZhong, Jia-Yong, authorShi, Jian-Rong, authorJiang, Shao-En, authorDing, Yong-Kun, authorJiang, Bo-Bin, authorDu, Kai, authorHe, Xian-Tu, authorYu, M. Y., authorLiu, C. S., authorWang, Shui, authorTang, Yong-Jian, authorZhu, Jian-Qiang, authorZhao, Gang, authorSheng, Zheng-Ming, authorZhang, Jie, authorAmerican Physical Society, publisher2020-04-282020-04-282012-05-25Dong, Quan-Li et al. “Plasmoid Ejection and Secondary Current Sheet Generation from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-Plasma Interaction.” Physical review letters 108.21 (2012): 215001. Web. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.215001https://hdl.handle.net/10217/206011Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fanlike electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The (>1 MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.born digitalarticleseng©2012 American Physical Society. APS has adopted the guiding principle that its journals will embrace open access publishing to the maximum extent possible, consistent with the financial stability of the Society. https://journals.aps.org/prl/edannounce/PhysRevLett.106.070001.Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.electric fieldscollimationlaser plasma interactionslasersthin filmselongationplasma interactionselectron accelerationelectric power distributionenergy distributionplasma physicssolar and stellar astrophysicsTexthttps://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.215001