Relativistic magnetosonic shock waves in synchrotron sources - Shock structure and nonthermal acceleration of positrons

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/171296· OSTI ID:7287712

Hoshino, Masahiro; Arons, J; Gallant, Y A; Langdon, A B ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)

The theoretical properties of relativistic, transverse, magnetosonic collisionless shock waves in electron-positron-heavy ion plasmas of relevance to astrophysical sources of synchrotron radiation are investigated. Both 1D electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations and quasi-linear theory are used to examine the spatial and kinetic structure of these nonlinear flows. A new process of shock acceleration of nonthermal positrons, in which the gyrating reflected heavy ions dissipate their energy in the form of collectively emitted, left-handed magnetosonic waves which are resonantly absorbed by the positrons immediately behind the ion reflection region, is described. Applications of the results to the termination shocks of pulsar winds and to the termination shocks of jets emanating from the AGN are outlined. 61 refs.

• OSTI ID: 7287712
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States) Vol. 390:2; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661300* -- Other Aspects of Physical Science-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
CRAB NEBULA
CYCLOTRON RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON PAIRS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
GALAXY NUCLEI
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
LEPTONS
MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES
MATHEMATICS
MATTER
NEBULAE
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PLASMA
PLASMA JETS
POSITRONS
PULSARS
RADIATIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SHOCK WAVES
SPACE
SPECTRA
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION