Electron acceleration by strong DC electric fields in extragalactic jets

Electron acceleration by fast magnetic reconnection in extragalactic jets is considered. A significant threedimensional magnetic field is assumed in the reconnecting current sheet where the particles are accelerated by the DC electric field. The character of electron orbits in the sheet is controled by the magnetic field that determines, in particular, the electron acceleration lengths < 10−2 pc, making the synchrotron losses in the sheet negligible. The model predicts a power-law electron spectrum extending to TeV energies. With the reconnection inflow speed of order 0.1 of the Alfvén speed and the corresponding electric field of order 10−6 statvolt/cm, a single current sheet can provide the energy release rate ≥ 1042 erg s−1. Because the electrons escape much more efficiently across the sheet rather than along it, radiation is continuous all along the jet. The maximum electron energy γ ≥ 106 and the acceleration time < 106 s are determined by the magnetic field dynamics in the sheet.