Transport of energetic electrons through the solar corona and the interplanetary space

TL;DR

This paper investigates how energetic electrons generated during solar flares travel through the solar corona and interplanetary space, influenced by magnetic fields, electric fields, and Coulomb collisions, affecting their observational signatures.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of electron transport mechanisms in the solar corona and interplanetary space, integrating observational data and theoretical modeling.

Findings

Electron transport is significantly affected by magnetic and electric fields.

Coulomb collisions influence electron energy loss and scattering.

Transport processes explain observed radio and X-ray emissions.

Abstract

During solar flares fast electron beams generated in the solar corona are non-thermal radio sources in terms of type III bursts. Sometimes they can enter into the interplanetary space, where they can be observed by in-situ measurements as it is done e.g. by the WIND spacecraft. On the other hand, they can be the source of non-thermal X-ray radiation as e.g. observed by RHESSI, if they precipitate toward the dense chromosphere due to bremsstrahlung. Since these energetic electrons are generated in the corona and observed at another site, the study of transport of such electrons in the corona and interplanetary space is of special interest. The transport of electrons is influenced by the global magnetic and electric field as well as local Coulomb collisions with the particles in the background plasma.