Transfer of Energy, Potential, and Current by Alfv\'en Waves in Solar Flares

TL;DR

This paper develops a model explaining how Alfvén waves transfer energy, potential, and current in solar flares, highlighting their roles in energy transport, potential mapping, and electron acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive model for large-amplitude Alfvén waves in solar flares, incorporating a picket-fence current structure to address the number problem and electron energy transfer.

Findings

Alfvén waves transport energy from the generator to the acceleration region.

They map the cross-field potential onto the acceleration region.

The model explains how waves damp to accelerate electrons.

Abstract

Alfv\'en waves play three related roles in the impulsive phase of a solar flare: they transport energy from a generator region to an acceleration region; they map the cross-field potential (associated with the driven energy release) from the generator region onto the acceleration region; and within the acceleration region they damp by setting up a parallel electric field that accelerates electrons and transfers the wave energy to them. The Alfv\'en waves may also be regarded as setting up new closed current loops, with field-aligned currents that close across field lines at boundaries. A model is developed for large-amplitude Alfv\'en waves that shows how Alfv\'en waves play these roles in solar flares. A picket-fence structure for the current flow is incorporated into the model to account for the "number problem" and the energy of the accelerated electrons.