Cross-field diffusion of electrons in tangled magnetic fields and implications for coronal fine structure

High-resolution images of the solar corona suggest some degree of tangling exists in the coronal magnetic structure. We show that a very low level of such magnetic tangling is sufficient for Rechester-Rosenbluth diffusion to be the dominant cross-field plasma transport mechanism. This process is thus likely to be a governing mechanism in controlling plasma structure in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. We show that cross-field transport as a result of Rechester-Rosenbluth diffusion is consistent with the apparent observed widths of coronal magnetic loops, and generate model coronal loops with widths governed by Rechester-Rosenbluth diffusion. Together with observed loop morphology, these calculations allow us to constrain the degree of magnetic field disorder likely to be present in the corona.