Ion Cyclotron Instability and Electron Acceleration in Coronal Magnetic Flux Tubes

Abstract

Part of the energy of low solar corona may be released and converted to plasma energy that may be the dominant source of solar flares. Recently, many physical mechanisms have been proposed to accelerate ions and electrons. In the magnetic mirror device of fusion research, ion cyclotron instability and the energetic ion losses have been discovered and the plasma becomes electron rich.