Acceleration of runaway electrons and Joule heating in solar flares

Abstract

The electric-field acceleration of electrons out of a thermal plasma and the simultaneous Joule heating of the plasma are studied. Acceleration and heating time scales are derived and compared, and upper limits are obtained on the acceleration volume and the rate at which electrons can be accelerated. These upper limits, determined by the maximum magnetic-field strength observed in flaring regions, place stringent restrictions on the acceleration process. The implications of these results for the microwave and hard x-ray emission from solar flares are examined.