Diffusive Acceleration of Particles at Oblique, Relativistic, Magnetohydrodynamic Shocks

Abstract

Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at relativistic shocks is expected to be an important acceleration mechanism in a variety of astrophysical objects including extragalactic jets in active galactic nuclei and gamma ray bursts. These sources remain good candidate sites for the generation of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. In this paper, key predictions of DSA at relativistic shocks that are germane to production of relativistic electrons and ions are outlined. The technique employed to identify these characteristics is a Monte Carlo simulation of such diffusive acceleration in test-particle, relativistic, oblique, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shocks. Using a compact prescription for diffusion of charges in MHD turbulence, this approach generates particle angular and momentum distributions at any position upstream or downstream of the shock. Simulation output is presented for both small angle and large angle scattering scenarios, and a variety of shock obliquities including superluminal regimes when the de Hoffmann-Teller frame does not exist. The distribution function power-law indices compare favorably with results from other techniques. They are found to depend sensitively on the mean magnetic field orientation in the shock, and the nature of MHD turbulence that propagates along fields in shock environs. An interesting regime of flat spectrum generation is addressed; we provide evidence for it being due to shock drift acceleration, a phenomenon well-known in heliospheric shock studies. The impact of these theoretical results on blazar science is outlined. Specifically, Fermi-LAT gamma-ray observations of these relativistic jet sources are providing significant constraints on important environmental quantities for relativistic shocks, namely the field obliquity, the frequency of scattering and the level of field turbulence.

25 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

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