Electron Behavior Around the Onset of Magnetic Reconnection

We investigate the onset of magnetic reconnection, utilizing a fully kinetic Particle‐In‐Cell (PIC) simulation. Characteristic features of the electron phase‐space distributions immediately before reconnection onset are identified. These include signatures of pressure non‐gyrotropy in the velocity distributions, and lemon shaped distributions in the in‐plane velocity directions. Further, we explain how these features form through particle energization by the out‐of‐plane electric field. Identification of these features in the distributions can aid in analysis of data where clear signatures of ongoing reconnection are not yet present.