Detecting Energetic Electrons during Magnetic Reconnection in the PHAse Space MApping (PHASMA) Experiment

The Phase Space Mapping experiment is designed to investigate distribution functions in magnetic reconnection events arising from the merger of two flux ropes generated by two pulsed plasma guns. A compact retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA) is constructed with four wire-mesh grids of Debye-scale resolution (0.125mm per grid hole) to measure electron energy distribution functions perpendicular to the plane of reconnection. Electric potential gradients within the RFEA are set to reject ion collection and minimize secondary electron generation (via photoelectric and electron impact effects) with the use of a suppressor grid. Any long tails in the measured energy distributions are interpreted as being non-Maxwellian features. Here we describe the development of the diagnostic and first results from magnetic reconnection experiments.