Inductive and Electrostatic Acceleration in Relativistic Jet-Plasma Interactions
arXiv:astro-ph/0507231 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.115006
Abstract
We report on the observation of rapid particle acceleration in numerical simulations of relativistic jet-plasma interactions and discuss the underlying mechanisms. The dynamics of a charge-neutral, narrow, electron-positron jet propagating through an unmagnetized electron-ion plasma was investigated using a three-dimensional, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell computer code. The interaction excited magnetic filamentation as well as electrostatic plasma instabilities. In some cases, the longitudinal electric fields generated inductively and electrostatically reached the cold plasma wave-breaking limit, and the longitudinal momentum of about half the positrons increased by 50% with a maximum gain exceeding a factor of 2 during the simulation period. Particle acceleration via these mechanisms occurred when the criteria for Weibel instability were satisfied.
Revised for Phys. Rev. Lett. Please see publised version for best graphics
References in corpus (7)
- Interpenetrating plasma shells: near-equipartition magnetic field generation and non-thermal particle acceleration
- Magnetic Field Generation in Collisionless Shocks; Pattern Growth and Transport
- Long-time evolution of magnetic fields in relativistic GRB shocks
- Particle Acceleration and Magnetic Field Generation in Electron-Positron Relativistic Shocks
- Plasma Wakefield Acceleration for Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
- Non-Fermi Power law Acceleration in Astrophysical Plasma Shocks
- Conversion of relativistic pair energy into radiation in the jets of active galactic nuclei
Cited by in corpus (5)
- Open Questions in GRB Physics
- PIC methods in astrophysics: Simulations of relativistic jets and kinetic physics in astrophysical systems
- Evolution of Global Relativistic Jets: Collimations and Expansion with kKHI and the Weibel Instability
- Isolated unstable Weibel modes in unmagnetized plasmas with tunable asymmetry
- Microscopic Processes in Global Relativistic Jets Containing Helical Magnetic Fields