skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: PROTON ACCELERATION AT OBLIQUE SHOCKS

Abstract

Acceleration at the shock waves propagating oblique to the magnetic field is studied using a recently developed theoretical/numerical model. The model assumes that resonant hydromagnetic wave-particle interaction is the most important physical mechanism relevant to motion and acceleration of particles as well as to excitation and damping of waves. The treatment of plasma and waves is self-consistent and time dependent. The model uses conservation laws and resonance conditions to find where waves will be generated or damped, and hence particles will be pitch-angle-scattered. The total distribution is included in the model and neither introduction of separate population of seed particles nor some ad hoc escape rate of accelerated particles is needed. Results of the study show agreement with diffusive shock acceleration models in the prediction of power spectra for accelerated particles in the upstream region. However, they also reveal the presence of spectral break in the high-energy part of the spectra. The role of the second-order Fermi-like acceleration at the initial stage of the acceleration is discussed. The test case used in the paper is based on ISEE-3 data collected for the shock of 1978 November 12.

Authors:
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21576608
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 734; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/106; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ACCELERATION; DAMPING; EXCITATION; HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES; MAGNETIC FIELDS; PARTICLE INTERACTIONS; PROTONS; SHOCK WAVES; BARYONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS; FERMIONS; HADRONS; INTERACTIONS; NUCLEONS

Citation Formats

Galinsky, V L, and Shevchenko, V. I., E-mail: vit@ucsd.edu. PROTON ACCELERATION AT OBLIQUE SHOCKS. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/106.
Galinsky, V L, & Shevchenko, V. I., E-mail: vit@ucsd.edu. PROTON ACCELERATION AT OBLIQUE SHOCKS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/106
Galinsky, V L, and Shevchenko, V. I., E-mail: vit@ucsd.edu. 2011. "PROTON ACCELERATION AT OBLIQUE SHOCKS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/106.
@article{osti_21576608,
title = {PROTON ACCELERATION AT OBLIQUE SHOCKS},
author = {Galinsky, V L and Shevchenko, V. I., E-mail: vit@ucsd.edu},
abstractNote = {Acceleration at the shock waves propagating oblique to the magnetic field is studied using a recently developed theoretical/numerical model. The model assumes that resonant hydromagnetic wave-particle interaction is the most important physical mechanism relevant to motion and acceleration of particles as well as to excitation and damping of waves. The treatment of plasma and waves is self-consistent and time dependent. The model uses conservation laws and resonance conditions to find where waves will be generated or damped, and hence particles will be pitch-angle-scattered. The total distribution is included in the model and neither introduction of separate population of seed particles nor some ad hoc escape rate of accelerated particles is needed. Results of the study show agreement with diffusive shock acceleration models in the prediction of power spectra for accelerated particles in the upstream region. However, they also reveal the presence of spectral break in the high-energy part of the spectra. The role of the second-order Fermi-like acceleration at the initial stage of the acceleration is discussed. The test case used in the paper is based on ISEE-3 data collected for the shock of 1978 November 12.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/734/2/106},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21576608}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 734,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Mon Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}