Two Phases of Solar Flares and a Stochastic Mechanism for Acceleration of Electrons and Protons

Abstract

The hypothesis of two phases of charged particle acceleration in solar flares is well known, with subrelativistic electrons accelerated in the first phase and relativistic electrons and protons in the second. Both phases are distinguished in the solar proton events and their parent flares of December 26, 2001 (M7.1), November 2, 2003 (X8.3), and August 9, 2011 (X6.9), while in the interplanetary space only electrons were observed from the first phase and electrons and protons from the second. The temporal profiles of the electrons and protons from the second phase are similar; hence, it is concluded that the relativistic electrons and protons observed in the interplanetary space are predominantly accelerated in flares, rather than in the shock front of a coronal mass ejection. Most likely a stochastic acceleration mechanism is realized in flares where protons and electrons gain energy in many elementary events over the entire duration of the flare which lasts much longer than an elementary event. To ensure consistency of a stochastic acceleration process with the existence of two phases in solar flares it is necessary to consider gyrosynchronous radiative electron losses in the second phase which can be neglected in the first phase. The energy of the accelerated protons in the first phase is small for their detection in processes taking place on the sun, but in the second phase it may be sufficient to produce gamma lines, both nuclear and from pion decay.