Title: Kinetic study of radiation-reaction-limited particle acceleration during the relaxation of unstable force-free equilibria

Abstract

Many powerful and variable gamma-ray sources, including pulsar wind nebulae, active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts, seem capable of accelerating particles to gamma-ray emitting energies efficiently over very short timescales. These are likely due to the rapid dissipation of electromagnetic energy in a highly magnetized, relativistic plasma. In order to understand the generic features of such processes, we have investigated simple models based on the relaxation of unstable force-free magnetostatic equilibria. In this work, we make the connection between the corresponding plasma dynamics and the expected radiation signal, using 2D particle-in-cell simulations that self-consistently include synchrotron radiation reactions. We focus on the lowest order unstable force-free equilibrium in a 2D periodic box. We find that rapid variability, with modest apparent radiation efficiency as perceived by a fixed observer, can be produced during the evolution of the instability. The "flares" are accompanied by an increased polarization degree in the high energy band, with rapid variation in the polarization angle. Furthermore, the separation between the acceleration sites and the synchrotron radiation sites for the highest energy particles facilitates acceleration beyond the synchrotron radiation reaction limit. We also discuss the dynamical consequences of the radiation reaction, and some astrophysical applications of this model.more » Our current simulations with numerically tractable parameters are not yet able to reproduce the most dramatic gamma-ray flares, e.g., from the Crab Nebula. As a result, higher magnetization studies are promising and will be carried out in the future.« less

Authors:

Yuan, Yajie  ^[1];

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Nalewajko, Krzysztof ^[2]; Zrake, Jonathan ^[1]; East, William E. ^[1]; Blandford, Roger D. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
2. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw (Poland)

Publication Date:

Wed Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:

1263399

Report Number(s):

SLAC-PUB-16753
Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357; arXiv:1604.03179

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-76SF00515

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

The Astrophysical Journal (Online)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: The Astrophysical Journal (Online); Journal Volume: 828; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357

Publisher:

Institute of Physics (IOP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; astrophysics; ASTRO; magnetic reconnection; acceleration of particles; radiation mechanisms: non-thermal; plasmas