Physical problems (microphysics) in relativistic plasma flows

Abstract

Many problems in astrophysics involve relativistic outflows. The plasma dynamics in these scenarios is critical to determine the conditions for the self-consistent evolution of the fields and particle acceleration. Advances in computer power now allow for kinetic plasma simulations, based on the particle-in-cell (PIC) paradigm, capable of providing information about the role of plasma instabilities in relativistic outflows. A discussion of the key issues associated with PIC simulations is presented, along with some the most important results and open questions, with a particular emphasis on the long time evolution of the filamentation, or Weibel, instability, and on the possible collisionless mechanisms for particle acceleration arising in the collision of relativistic plasma shells.

19 pages, 18 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Simulations of relativistic collisionless shocks: shock structure and particle acceleration

Cited by in corpus (15)

• Ion dynamics and acceleration in relativistic shocks
• Theory of Fast Electron Transport for Fast Ignition
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• 3D modeling of collisionless shocks
• Nonlinear dynamics of the ion Weibel-filamentation instability: an analytical model for the evolution of the plasma and spectral properties
• Ion motion in the wake driven by long particle bunches in plasmas
• The filamentation instability driven by warm electron beams: Statistics and electric field generation
• Simulation study of the filamentation of counter-streaming beams of the electrons and positrons in plasmas
• One-dimensional particle simulation of the filamentation instability: electrostatic field driven by the magnetic pressure gradient force
• Self-modulation instability of ultra-relativistic particle bunches with finite rise times
• Saturation of the asymmetric current filamentation instability under conditions relevant to relativistic shock precursors
• General properties of the radiation spectra from relativistic electrons moving in a Langmuir turbulence
• Electron Weibel instability and~quasi-magnetostatic structures in~an~expanding collisionless plasma
• Slowdown of interpenetration of two counterpropagating plasma slab due to collective effects
• Multi-scale magnetic field structures in an expanding elongated plasma cloud with hot electrons subject to an external magnetic field