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Magnetic reconnection in strongly magnetized astrophysical plasma environments is believed to be the primary process for fast energy release and particle energization. Currently, there is strong interest in relativistic magnetic reconnection in that it may provide a new explanation for high-energy particle acceleration and radiation in strongly magnetized astrophysical systems. We review recent advances in particle acceleration and reconnection physics in the magnetically dominated regime. Much discussion is focused on the physics of particle acceleration and power-law formation as well as the reconnection rate problem. In addition, we provide an outlook for studying reconnection acceleration mechanisms and kinetic physics in the next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly believed that blazar jets are relativistic magnetized plasma outflows from supermassive black holes. One key question is how the jets dissipate magnetic energy to accelerate particles and drive powerful multiwavelength flares. Relativistic magnetic reconnection has been proposed as the primary plasma physical process in the blazar emission region. Recent numerical simulations have shown strong acceleration of nonthermal particles that may lead to multiwavelength flares. Nevertheless, previous works have not directly evaluated γ-ray signatures from first-principles simulations. In this paper, we employ combined particle-in-cell and polarized radiation transfer simulations to study multiwavelength radiation and optical polarization signatures under the leptonic scenario from relativistic magnetic reconnection. We find harder-when-brighter trends in optical and Fermi-LAT γ-ray bands as well as closely correlated optical and γ-ray flares. The swings in optical polarization angle are also accompanied by γ-ray flares with trivial time delays. Intriguingly, we find highly variable synchrotron self-Compton signatures due to inhomogeneous particle distributions during plasmoid mergers. This feature may result in fast γ-ray flares or orphan γ-ray flares under the leptonic scenario, complementary to the frequently considered minijet scenario. It may also imply neutrino emission with low secondary synchrotron flux under the hadronic scenario, if plasmoid mergers can accelerate protons to very high energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blazars are relativistic magnetized plasma outflows from supermassive black holes that point very close to our line of sight. Their emission is nonthermal-dominated and highly variable across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Relativistic magnetic reconnection has been proposed as the driver of particle acceleration during blazar flares. While recent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations have self-consistently studied the evolution of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration therein, the resulting radiation signatures have not been systematically explored. In particular, the polarization signatures, which directly reflect the characteristic strongly dynamical evolution of magnetic field during reconnection, have not been carefully investigated. In this paper, we present a systematic study of radiation and polarization signatures arising from magnetic reconnection in blazars, based on combined PIC and polarized radiation transfer simulations with various physical parameters. We identify a harder-when-brighter trend in the spectral evolution. Moreover, higher-frequency bands (ultraviolet to X-ray) tend to flare earlier than lower-frequency bands (infrared to optical) in the synchrotron spectral component. Most importantly, polarization signatures appear more variable with higher frequencies. We find that the variation in temporal polarization depends strongly on the guide field strength. Specifically, reconnection with a significant guide field component leads to a very high polarization degree that contradicts typical blazar observations, while large polarization angle rotations are unique signatures of magnetic reconnection between nearly antiparallel magnetic field lines. These rotations are at least 90° and can extend to >180°, and they may be in either direction. These results imply that blazars that have shown large polarization angle rotations intrinsically have more nearly antiparallel magnetic field morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]