Kinetic Modeling of Inertial Alfvén Waves in the Solar Corona: Implications for Heating and Particle Acceleration

Abstract Recent observations from Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter highlight the importance of Alfvén waves in solar coronal heating and particle acceleration. In this study, we investigate inertial Alfvén waves (IAWs), which operate at electron inertial scales, as a potential mechanism for plasma heating and charged particle acceleration in the low solar corona (0–10 R Sun ). Using kinetic plasma theory within a non‐Maxwellian (Cairns) distribution framework, we evaluate the perturbed electromagnetic (EM) field ratios and demonstrate their strong dependence on the non‐thermal parameter , which controls the non‐thermal features of the plasma systems. These field ratios inform the computation of the Poynting flux, revealing that for , IAWs can efficiently channel energy along the magnetic field B over a broad range of heliocentric distances (0–30 R Sun ), with the extent beyond this range depending on the specific parametric conditions, while exhibiting rapid cross‐field dissipation. We further assess the net power flux carried by IAWs in coronal flux tubes and show enhanced power transport at larger electron inertial scales . The parallel and perpendicular electric potentials associated with IAWs, both shaped by , indicate that wave energy is transferred to particles via damping, leading to effective heating. By evaluating net resonant particle speeds, we find that energy deposition occurs preferentially along B . Additionally, we show that both the group velocity and damping length of IAWs increase with stronger non‐thermal features. These multifaceted results underscore the role of IAWs in coronal heating and particle acceleration in the inherently non‐Maxwellian solar corona.