Interpretation of solar wind reconnection exhaust in terms of kinetic Alfven wave group-velocity cones

Recent multi-satellite measurements of reconnection exhausts in the solar wind have allowed for the first time to determine the reconnection rate (R) and the exhaust wedge angle 2 theta(w). We compare such observations of R and theta(w) with the theoretical predictions based on the half-cone angles (theta(g)) of the group velocity vectors (V-g) of the kinetic Alfven (KA) and slow MHD (SMHD) wave modes. We find that for these recently observed reconnection events in the solar wind the exhaust wedge angle and the reconnection rate are determined by the KA waves and not by the SMHD wave mode. Our study suggests a theoretical basis for determining the reconnection rate based on group-velocity cone angle of certain wave modes depending on the MHD or kinetic reconnection regimes.