Collisionless Effects on Beam-Return Current Systems in Solar Flares

Abstract

A large fraction of the electrons which are accelerated during the impulsive phase of solar flares stream towards the chromosphere and are unstable to the growth of plasma waves. The linear and nonlinear evolution of plasma waves as a function of time is analyzed with the use of a set of rate equations that follow in time the non-linearly coupled system of plasma waves-ion fluctuations. The nonthermal tail formed during the stabilization of the precipitated electrons can stabilize the Anomalous Doppler Resonance instability and prevent the isotropization of the energetic electrons. The precipitating electrons modify the way the return current is carried by the background plasma. In particular, the return current is not carried by the bulk of the electrons but by a small number of high velocity electrons. For beam/plasma densities ≳ 10−3, this can reduce the effects of collisions and heating by the return current. For higher density beams where the return current could be unstable to current driven instabilities, the effects of strong turbulence anomalous resistivity is shown to prevent the appearance of such instabilities. Our main conclusion is that the beam-return current system is interconnected and how the return current is carried is determined by the beam generated strong turbulence.