A numerical study of magnetic reconnection for Blazar variability

The mechanisms behind fast gamma-ray variability in blazars and particle acceleration in relativistic jets are still unresolved. Blazars, a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets closely aligned with our line of sight, offer unique opportunities to investigate the inner regions of AGNs and their jets. Proposed models, including shock acceleration, the star-in-jet model, two-zone emission, and magnetic reconnection, aim to explain their broad electromagnetic spectrum. However, the rapid variability observed in gamma rays challenges conventional shock models, prompting magnetic reconnection as a promising alternative. In this work, we investigate magnetic reconnection as a driver of fast variability and particle acceleration in blazar jets. Using three-dimensional resistive relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (ResRMHD) simulations with the PLUTO code, we explore turbulence-induced reconnection in highly magnetized relativistic plasma columns. Our study focuses on the current-driven kink instability, which generates current sheets that facilitate magnetic reconnection and produce plasmoids, small-scale magnetic structures filled with high-energy particles. In this presentation, I will describe a novel technique for identifying current sheets, those are responsible for plasmoid formation in our simulations in turbulent jet environments and perform a detailed statistical analysis of their geometric properties. Additionally, I will discuss key characteristics influencing particle acceleration and gamma-ray flare production. This study advances our understanding of plasma dynamics in relativistic jets and highlights the role of magnetic reconnection in high-energy astrophysics.