ELECTRON ACCELERATION AT A CORONAL SHOCK PROPAGATING THROUGH A LARGE-SCALE STREAMER-LIKE MAGNETIC FIELD

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 821; no. 1
• Main Authors: Kong, Xiangliang, Chen, Yao, Feng, Shiwei, Du, Guohui, Guo, Fan, Li, Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 10-04-2016
• Subjects: ACCELERATION; ANALYTICAL SOLUTION; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY SPECTRA; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MASS; SHOCK WAVES; SOLAR CORONA; SOLAR ELECTRONS; SOLAR RADIO BURSTS; SUN; TEST PARTICLES; TRAPS
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357

Using 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 featuring a 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 the 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 the efficient electron acceleration region along the shock front during its propagation. We also find that, in general, the electron acceleration at the shock flank is not as efficient as that at the top of the closed field because a collapsing magnetic trap can be formed at the top. In addition, we find that the energy spectra of electrons are power-law-like, first hardening then softening with the spectral index varying in a range of −3 to −6. Physical interpretations of the results and implications for the study of solar radio bursts are discussed.