Nonrelativistic parallel shocks in unmagnetized and weakly magnetized plasmas

Abstract

We present results of 2D3V particle-in-cell simulations of non-relativistic plasma collisions with absent or parallel large-scale magnetic field for parameters applicable to the conditions at young supernova remnants. We study the collision of plasma slabs of different density, leading to two different shocks and a contact discontinuity. Electron dynamics play an important role in the development of the system. While non-relativistic shocks in both unmagnetized and magnetized plasmas can be mediated by Weibel-type instabilities, the efficiency of shock-formation processes is higher when a large-scale magnetic field is present. The electron distributions downstream of the forward and reverse shocks are generally isotropic, whereas that is not always the case for the ions. We do not see any significant evidence of pre-acceleration, neither in the electron population nor in the ion distribution.

22 pages, 18 figures

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• The Acceleration of Thermal Protons at Parallel Collisionless Shocks: Three-dimensional Hybrid Simulations
• PIC Simulation Methods for Cosmic Radiation and Plasma Instabilities
• Electron Pre-Acceleration at Nonrelativistic High-Mach-Number Perpendicular Shocks
• The Acceleration of Electrons at Collisionless Shocks Moving Through a Turbulent Magnetic Field
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• Non-relativistic perpendicular shocks modeling young supernova remnants: nonstationary dynamics and particle acceleration at forward and reverse shocks
• Particle acceleration and wave excitation in quasi-parallel high-Mach-number collisionless shocks: Particle-in-cell simulation
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• Modification of the formation of high-Mach number electrostatic shock-like structures by the ion acoustic instability
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• Collisional behaviors of astrophysical collisionless plasmas
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• A Study of the Early-stage Evolution of Relativistic Electron-Ion Shock using 3D PIC Simulations
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• Transport of relativistic jet in the magnetized intergalactic medium
• Early acceleration of electrons and protons at the nonrelativistic quasiparallel shocks with different obliquity angles
• The mechanism of efficient electron acceleration at parallel non-relativistic shocks