Acceleration of electrons during the magnetic compression of coronal plasmas

Adiabatic magnetic plasma compression due to large-scale topological reconf iguration of the magnetic field in the solar corona is considered as a poss ible mechanism for electron acceleration. The mechanism is based on the acc eleration of "runaway" electrons by the induced electric field. To model th is phenomenon, the kinetic equation for the distribution function of the en ergetic electrons is solved simultaneously with a simplified set of MHD equ ations for the cold background plasma. A regime in which the acceleration o f energetic electrons is accompanied by cooling of the main plasma componen t due to radiation losses has been studied. It is possible to store conside rable energy in the "tail" of runaway electrons before: the cyclotron insta bility acts to limit the energy accumulation. Magnetic compression is a pos sible source of energetic particles in coronal loops during the preliminary stages of solar flares.