A relativistic partially electromagnetic planar plasma shock
Astrophysics
2009-11-13 v1
Abstract
We model relativistically colliding plasma by PIC simulations in one and two spatial dimensions, taking an ion-to-electron mass ratio of 400. Energy dissipation by a wave precursor of mixed polarity and different densities of the colliding plasma slabs results in a relativistic forward shock forming on millisecond timescales. The forward shock accelerates electrons to ultrarelativistic energies and reflects upstream ions, which drag the electrons along to preserve the plasma quasi-neutrality. No reverse shock forms. The shock may be representative for internal gamma ray burst shocks.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0702055,
title = {A relativistic partially electromagnetic planar plasma shock},
author = {M. E. Dieckmann and P. K. Shukla and L. O. C. Drury},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0702055},
year = {2009}
}