Generation of the energetic proton and electron bursts in planetary magnetotails

Abstract

The paper deals with the unified model of particle acceleration (both electrons and protons) in the planetary magnetotail due to explosive spontaneous reconnection. It is shown that the inductive electric field is able to generate energetic particle bursts. The proposed mechanism accelerates both species up to MeV energies in the Earth's magnetosphere (but with the electron flux much lower than the proton flux) and vice versa (practically only electrons) in the case of the compact magnetosphere of Mercury. The theory conforms with the experimental data obtained thus far in the terrestrial and Hermean magnetotails.