A classification scheme for turbulent acceleration processes in solar flares

Abstract

We establish a classification scheme for stochastic acceleration models involving low-frequency plasma turbulence in a strongly magnetized plasma. This classification takes into account both the properties of the accelerating electromagnetic field, and the nature of the transport of charged particles in the acceleration region. We group the acceleration processes as either resonant, non-resonant, or resonant-broadened, depending on whether the particle motion is free-streaming along the magnetic field, diffusive, or a combination of the two. Stochastic acceleration by moving magnetic mirrors and adiabatic compressions are addressed as illustrative examples. We obtain expressions for the momentum-dependent diffusion coefficient D(p), both for general forms of the accelerating force and for the situation when the electromagnetic force is wave-like, with a specified dispersion relation ω = ω(k). Finally, for models considered, we calculate the energy-dependent acceleration time, a quantity that can be directly compared with observations of the time profile of the radiation field produced by the accelerated particles, such as those occuring during solar flares. © 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.