The acceleration of ions in solar flares during magnetic reconnection

Abstract

The acceleration of solar flare ions during magnetic reconnection is explored via particle-in-cell simulations that self-consistently and simultaneously follow the motions of both protons and α particles. We show that the dominant heating of thermal ions during guide field reconnection, the usual type in the solar corona, results from pickup behavior during the entry into reconnection exhausts. In contrast to anti-parallel reconnection, the temperature increment is dominantly transverse, rather than parallel, to the local magnetic field. A comparison of protons and α reveals a mass-to-charge (M/Q) threshold in pickup behavior that favors the heating of high-M/Q ions, which is consistent with impulsive flare observations. © 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.