Particle Acceleration by Magnetic Reconnection in a Twisted Coronal Loop
Abstract
Photospheric motions may lead to twisted coronal magnetic fields which contain free energy that can be released by reconnection. Browning & Van der Linden suggested that such a relaxation event may be triggered by the onset of ideal kink instability. In the present work, we study the evolution of a twisted magnetic flux tube with zero net axial current following Hood et al. Based on the obtained magnetic and electric fields, proton and electron trajectories are calculated using the test-particle approach. We discuss resulting particle distributions and possible observational implications, for example, for small solar flares.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2011
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/729/2/101
- Bibcode:
- 2011ApJ...729..101G
- Keywords:
-
- acceleration of particles;
- magnetic reconnection;
- Sun: flares