MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IS A PROCESS OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE IN SPACE AND ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMAS. IN GEOSPACE RECONNECTION IS THE PRIMARY MEANS BY WHICH SOLAR-WIND PLASMAS AND ELECTRIC FIELDS ARE EFFICIENTLY TRANSFERRED INTO EARTH S MAGNETOSPHERE AND BY WHICH MAGNETIC ENERGY STORED IN THE MAGNETOTAIL IS RELEASED AND THE TAIL IS RECONFIGURED INTO ITS QUIET STATE. A MAJOR EFFECT OF RECONNECTION AND OF THE DYNAMIC EVOLUTION ASSOCIATED WITH RECONNECTING FIELDS IS THE ACCELERATION OF CHARGED PARTICLES BY INDUCED ELECTRIC FIELDS AND PARALLEL ELECTRIC FIELDS. THIS CONSTITUTES AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN THE OVERALL ENERGY BALANCE OF THE MAGNETOSPHERE AND IS ALSO OF INCREASING RELEVANCE FOR HUMANS AND HUMAN ASSETS THROUGH SPACE WEATHER EFFECTS. THE MAGNETOSPHERIC MULTISCALE (MMS) MISSION WITH ITS VARIABLE SPACECRAFT SEPARATIONS FROM TENS TO THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS WITH ITS HIGH-RATE BURST-MODE DATA SYSTEM WITH ITS INTERSPACECRAFT RANGING AND ALARM SYSTEM AND WITH ITS 3D ELECTRIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS IS DESIGNED TO TAKE THE ULTIMATE STEP IN INVESTIGATING THE PHYSICS OF RECONNECTION AND PARTICLE ACCELERATION. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ADDRESSES MECHANISMS AND DYNAMICS OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTION AND THE EFFECTS ON PARTICLES WHICH INCLUDES PLASMA HEATING THE GENERATION PROPAGATION AND CONSEQUENCES OF FAST FLOWS AND THE ACCELERATION OF PARTICLES TO HIGH ENERGIES. SPECIFICALLY WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE . THE ONSET AND DYNAMIC CONSEQUENCES OF ACTIVITY. THIS INCLUDES SPECIFICALLY PROPERTIES OF FAST FLOWS (BURSTY BULK FLOWS) AND DIPOLARIZATION EVENTS .THE ACCELERATION OF CHARGED PARTICLES TO HIGH SUPRATHERMAL ENERGIES. THIS INOLVES USE OF THE DYNAMIC FIELDS FROM THE MHD SIMULATIONS TO INVESTIGATE TEST PARTICLE MOTION AND ACCELERATION. RESULTS FROM OUR INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE MMS MISSION AND SERVE TO ENHANCE THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN AS WELL AS TO FOCUS THE GOALS OF THIS MISSION.