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Title: Electron acceleration at a coronal shock propagating through a large-scale streamer-like magnetic field

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal (Online)
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Shandong Univ., Jinan (China). Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, and Inst. of Space Sciences
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division
  3. Univ. of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (United States). Dept. of Space Science and CSPAR
+ Show Author Affiliations

With a test-particle simulation, we investigate the effect of large-scale coronal magnetic fields on electron acceleration at an outward-propagating coronal shock with a circular front. The coronal field is approximated by an analytical solution with a streamer-like magnetic field featured by partially open magnetic field and a current sheet at the equator atop the closed region. We show that the large-scale shock-field configuration, especially the relative curvature of the shock and the magnetic field line across which the shock is sweeping, plays an important role in the efficiency of electron acceleration. At low shock altitudes, when the shock curvature is larger than that of magnetic field lines, the electrons are mainly accelerated at the shock flanks; at higher altitudes, when the shock curvature is smaller, the electrons are mainly accelerated at the shock nose around the top of closed field lines. The above process reveals the shift of efficient electron acceleration region along the shock front during its propagation. We also found that in general the electron acceleration at the shock flank is not so efficient as that at the top of closed field since at the top a collapsing magnetic trap can be formed. In addition, we find that the energy spectra of electrons is power-law like, first hardening then softening with the spectral index varying in a range of -3 to -6. In conclusion, physical interpretations of the results and implications on the study of solar radio bursts are discussed.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; Shandong Universit; Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396; ATM-0847719; AGS1135432; ZR2014DQ001; ZR2013DQ004; NSBRSF 2012CB825601; NNSFC 11503014; 41274175; 41331068; U1431103
OSTI ID:
1338739
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-20148
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal (Online), Vol. 821, Issue 1; ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 13 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (8)

Interplanetary type II radio bursts and their association with CMEs and flares journal May 2018
Investigation of the possible source for the solar energetic particle event on 2017 September 10 journal July 2018
The Acceleration of High-energy Protons at Coronal Shocks: The Effect of Large-scale Streamer-like Magnetic Field Structures journal December 2017
Corrugated Features in Coronal-mass-ejection-driven Shocks: A Discussion on the Predisposition to Particle Acceleration journal July 2019
The Acceleration of Energetic Particles at Coronal Shocks and Emergence of a Double Power-law Feature in Particle Energy Spectra journal September 2019
The Acceleration and Confinement of Energetic Electrons by a Termination Shock in a Magnetic Trap: An Explanation for Nonthermal Loop-top Sources during Solar Flares journal December 2019
The acceleration of high-energy protons at coronal shocks: the effect of large-scale streamer-like magnetic field structures text January 2017
The Acceleration of Energetic Particles at Coronal Shocks and Emergence of a Double Power Law Feature in Particle Energy Spectra text January 2019

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Astronomy and Astrophysics
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shock waves
Sun: coronal mass ejections
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