Magneto-thermal reconnection: Concept substance and analytic proof

Highlights: • Oscillatory reconnecting mode associated with an electron temperature gradient. • Mode growth rate dependent upon relevant particle diffusion coefficient. • Particle density and electron temperature gradients are involved in growth rate. • Mode involves exchange of reconnected field energy and electron thermal energy. An oscillatory mode propagating along and across a confining magnetic field is identified that involves magnetic reconnection in the presence of a significant electron temperature gradient within the reconnection region where the ratio of the longitudinal ($\propto D_{\parallel }^e$) to transverse electron thermal conductivity ($\propto D_{\perp }^e$) is relatively large. A periodic exchange of reconnected magnetic field energy with electron thermal energy is sustained within a region that remains significant even when the magnetic field configuration from which the mode can emerge involves large scale distances. The mode growth rate depends on the particle density gradient (aligned with the electron temperature gradient) and the relevant particle diffusion coefficient.