Solar Coronal Heating: Role of Kinetic and Inertial Alfv\'en Waves in Heating and Charged Particle Acceleration

TL;DR

This study investigates how kinetic and inertial Alfvén waves contribute to solar coronal heating and charged particle acceleration using a kinetic plasma model, revealing their energy transport and dissipation characteristics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the wave-particle interactions of KAWs and IAWs and their role in heating the solar corona, especially considering the effects of plasma parameters.

Findings

Both KAWs and IAWs decrease in Poynting flux with higher T_e/T_i and electron inertial length.

KAWs are significantly affected at high wavenumbers, influencing electric potential.

Wave-particle interactions can efficiently heat the solar corona over large distances.

Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of solar coronal heating and charged particle acceleration remains one of the most critical challenges in space and astrophysical plasma physics. In this study, we explore the contribution of Alfv\'en waves, both in their kinetic (KAWs) and inertial (IAWs) regimes, to particle acceleration processes that ultimately lead to coronal heating. Using a kinetic plasma framework based on the generalized Vlasov-Maxwell model, we analyze the dynamics of these waves with a focus on the perpendicular components of the Poynting flux vectors and the net resonance speed of the particles. Our results show that both the magnitude and dissipation rate of the Poynting flux for KAWs and IAWs decrease with increasing electron-to-ion temperature ratio (T_e/T_i) and normalized perpendicular electron inertial length (c k_x / omega_pe). We evaluate the associated electric potentials and find that KAWs are significantly influenced in the high wavenumber (k_x rho_i) regime. IAWs, on the other hand, show a decrease in electric potential along the magnetic field and an increase across it when the perpendicular electric field (E_x) is enhanced. We also determine the net resonant speeds of particles in the perpendicular direction and show that these wave-particle interactions can efficiently heat the solar corona over large distances (R_Sun). Finally, we quantify the power transported by KAWs and IAWs through solar flux loop tubes, finding that both wave types deliver greater energy with increasing T_e/T_i and c k_x / omega_pe. These findings offer deeper insights into wave-driven heating and are relevant to solar wind and magnetospheric physics.