Inductive and Electrostatic Acceleration in Relativistic Jet-Plasma Interactions

Journal Article · Wed Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review Letters

OSTI ID:878839

Ng, Johnny S.T.; Noble, Robert J

We report on the observation of rapid particle acceleration in numerical simulations of relativistic jet-plasma interactions and discuss the underlying mechanisms. The dynamics of a charge-neutral, narrow, electron-positron jet propagating through an unmagnetized electron-ion plasma was investigated using a three-dimensional, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell computer code. The interaction excited magnetic filamentation as well as electrostatic (longitudinal) plasma instabilities. In some cases, the longitudinal electric fields generated inductively and electrostatically reached the cold plasma wave-breaking limit, and the longitudinal momentum of about half the positrons increased by 50% with a maximum gain exceeding a factor of two. The results are relevant to understanding the micro-physics at the interface region of an astrophysical jet with the interstellar plasma, for example, the edge of a wide jet or the jet-termination point.

• Research Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 878839
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-11342; astro-ph/0507231
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Vol. 96; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELERATION
Astrophysics
ACCPHY
ASTRO
COMP
COLD PLASMA
COMPUTER CODES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTROSTATICS
LONGITUDINAL MOMENTUM
PLASMA
POSITRONS