The role of collisions in the particle acceleration in solar-flare magnetic traps

We investigate the particle acceleration in a magnetic trap with converging mirrors, which is a Constituent part of the magnetic reconnection mechanism in solar flares. We take into account the effect of Coulomb collisions on the formation of the accelerated-electron distribution function. The solution of the kinetic equation shows that the Coulomb scattering of anisotropic accelerated electrons leads to their isotropization. As a result, the fraction of trapped particles increases and the acceleration efficiency significantly rises. (C) 2003 MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica.