Ultrarelativistic outflows in asymmetric magnetic reconnection

We present a one-fluid pair plasma magnetohydrodynamical model for asymmetric relativistic magnetic reconnection that incorporates the thermal-inertial effects of the plasma. We find the general scaling relation for the reconnection rate in a Sweet–Parker-type configuration. However, we show that under a specific highly asymmetric scenario, this magnetic reconnection process can produce ultrarelativistic plasma outflows, with velocities much larger than the ones found in symmetric cases. We highlight the significance of the asymmetry in enhancing particle acceleration and energy release.