Particle Acceleration in Multiple Dissipation Regions

The sharp magnetic discontinuities which naturally appear in solar magneticflux tubes driven by turbulent photospheric motions are associated with intensecurrents. \citet{Par83} proposed that these currents can become unstable to avariety of microscopic processes, with the net result of dramatically enhancedresistivity and heating (nanoflares). The electric fields associated with such``hot spots'' are also expected to enhance particle acceleration. We test thishypothesis by exact relativistic orbit simulations in strong random phasemagnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence which is forming localized super-DreicerOhm electric fields ($E_\Omega/E_D$ = $10^2 ... 10^5$) occurring in 2..15 % ofthe volume. It is found that these fields indeed yield a large amplification ofacceleration of electrons and ions, and can effectively overcome the injectionproblem. We suggest in this article that nanoflare heating will be associatedwith sporadic particle acceleration.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, to appear in ApJ