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We investigate the distribution of particle acceleration sites, independentlyof the actual acceleration mechanism, during plasmoid-dominated, relativisticcollisionless magnetic reconnection by analyzing the results of aparticle-in-cell numerical simulation. The simulation is initiated withHarris-type current layers in pair plasma with no guide magnetic field,negligible radiative losses, no initial perturbation, and using periodicboundary conditions. We find that the plasmoids develop a robust internalstructure, with colder dense cores and hotter outer shells, that is recoveredafter each plasmoid merger on a dynamical time scale. We use spacetime diagramsof the reconnection layers to probe the evolution of plasmoids, and in thiscontext we investigate the individual particle histories for a representativesample of energetic electrons. We distinguish three classes of particleacceleration sites associated with (1) magnetic X-points, (2) regions betweenmerging plasmoids, and (3) the trailing edges of accelerating plasmoids. Weevaluate the contribution of each class of acceleration sites to the finalenergy distribution of energetic electrons -- magnetic X-points dominate atmoderate energies, and the regions between merging plasmoids dominate at higherenergies. We also identify the dominant acceleration scenarios, in order ofdecreasing importance -- (1) single acceleration between merging plasmoids, (2)single acceleration at a magnetic X-point, and (3) acceleration at a magneticX-point followed by acceleration in a plasmoid. Particle acceleration is absentonly in the vicinity of stationary plasmoids. The effect of magnetic mirrorsdue to plasmoid contraction does not appear to be significant in relativisticreconnection.

On the distribution of particle acceleration sites in plasmoid-dominated relativistic magnetic reconnection