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

Title: THE ROLE OF CROSS-SHOCK POTENTIAL ON PICKUP ION SHOCK ACCELERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF FOCUSED TRANSPORT THEORY

Abstract

The focused transport theory is appropriate to describe the injection and acceleration of low-energy particles at shocks as an extension of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). In this investigation, we aim to characterize the role of cross-shock potential (CSP) originated in the charge separation across the shock ramp on pickup ion (PUI) acceleration at various types of shocks with a focused transport model. The simulation results of energy spectrum and spatial density distribution for the cases with and without CSP added in the model are compared. With sufficient acceleration time, the focused transport acceleration finally falls into the DSA regime with the power-law spectral index equal to the solution of the DSA theory. The CSP can affect the shape of the spectrum segment at lower energies, but it does not change the spectral index of the final power-law spectrum at high energies. It is found that the CSP controls the injection efficiency which is the fraction of PUIs reaching the DSA regime. A stronger CSP jump results in a dramatically improved injection efficiency. Our simulation results also show that the injection efficiency of PUIs is mass-dependent, which is lower for species with a higher mass. In addition, the CSP is ablemore » to enhance the particle reflection upstream to produce a stronger intensity spike at the shock front. We conclude that the CSP is a non-negligible factor that affects the dynamics of PUIs at shocks.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, FL 32901 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22270777
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 776; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ACCELERATION; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DENSITY; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY SPECTRA; INDEXES; IONS; MASS; MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS; POTENTIALS; REFLECTION; SHOCK WAVES; TRANSPORT THEORY

Citation Formats

Zuo, Pingbing, Zhang, Ming, and Rassoul, Hamid K. THE ROLE OF CROSS-SHOCK POTENTIAL ON PICKUP ION SHOCK ACCELERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF FOCUSED TRANSPORT THEORY. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/93.
Zuo, Pingbing, Zhang, Ming, & Rassoul, Hamid K. THE ROLE OF CROSS-SHOCK POTENTIAL ON PICKUP ION SHOCK ACCELERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF FOCUSED TRANSPORT THEORY. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/93
Zuo, Pingbing, Zhang, Ming, and Rassoul, Hamid K. 2013. "THE ROLE OF CROSS-SHOCK POTENTIAL ON PICKUP ION SHOCK ACCELERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF FOCUSED TRANSPORT THEORY". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/93.
@article{osti_22270777,
title = {THE ROLE OF CROSS-SHOCK POTENTIAL ON PICKUP ION SHOCK ACCELERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF FOCUSED TRANSPORT THEORY},
author = {Zuo, Pingbing and Zhang, Ming and Rassoul, Hamid K.},
abstractNote = {The focused transport theory is appropriate to describe the injection and acceleration of low-energy particles at shocks as an extension of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). In this investigation, we aim to characterize the role of cross-shock potential (CSP) originated in the charge separation across the shock ramp on pickup ion (PUI) acceleration at various types of shocks with a focused transport model. The simulation results of energy spectrum and spatial density distribution for the cases with and without CSP added in the model are compared. With sufficient acceleration time, the focused transport acceleration finally falls into the DSA regime with the power-law spectral index equal to the solution of the DSA theory. The CSP can affect the shape of the spectrum segment at lower energies, but it does not change the spectral index of the final power-law spectrum at high energies. It is found that the CSP controls the injection efficiency which is the fraction of PUIs reaching the DSA regime. A stronger CSP jump results in a dramatically improved injection efficiency. Our simulation results also show that the injection efficiency of PUIs is mass-dependent, which is lower for species with a higher mass. In addition, the CSP is able to enhance the particle reflection upstream to produce a stronger intensity spike at the shock front. We conclude that the CSP is a non-negligible factor that affects the dynamics of PUIs at shocks.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/93},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22270777}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 776,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sun Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}

Works referencing / citing this record:

Large gradual solar energetic particle events
journal, September 2016


Precipitation and Release of Solar Energetic Particles from the Solar Coronal Magnetic Field
journal, September 2017