THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF RELATIVISTIC COLLISIONLESS ION-ELECTRON SHOCKS

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/739/2/L42· OSTI ID:21565434

Haugboelle, Troels ^[1]

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1. Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen (Denmark)

Two-dimensional (2D) modeling of collisionless shocks has been of tremendous importance in understanding the physics of nonlinear evolution, momentum transfer, and particle acceleration, but current computer capacities have now reached a point where three-dimensional (3D) modeling is becoming feasible. We present the first 3D model of a fully developed and relaxed relativistic ion-electron shock, and analyze and compare it to similar 2D models. Quantitative and qualitative differences are found with respect to the 2D models. The shock jump conditions are naturally different, because of the extra degree of freedom, but in addition it is found that strong parallel electric fields develop at the shock interface, the level of magnetic field energy is lower, and the non-thermal particle distribution is shallower with a power-law index of {approx}2.2.

• OSTI ID: 21565434
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 739, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/739/2/L42; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCELERATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
PARTICLES
SIMULATION
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVALUATION
FERMIONS
LEPTONS