Related papers: Electron Surfing and Drift Accelerations in a Weib…
A new quasi-neutral model describing the Weibel instability of a high-current relativistic beam propagating through a resistive plasma is developed. It treats beam electrons as kinetic particles, and ambient plasma as a non-relativistic…
Different electron acceleration regimes in the evanescent field of a surface plasma wave are studied by considering the interaction of a test electron with the high-frequency electromagnetic field of a surface wave. The non-relativistic and…
We present the results of large hybrid (kinetic ions - fluid electrons) simulations of particle acceleration at non-relativistic collisionless shocks. Ion acceleration efficiency and magnetic field amplification are investigated in detail…
The dissipation of turbulent magnetic fields is an appealing scenario to explain the origin of non-thermal particles in high-energy astrophysical sources. However, it has been suggested that the particle distribution may effectively…
Weakly magnetized shock waves are paramount to a large diversity of environments, including supernova remnants, blazars, and binary-neutron-star mergers. Understanding the distribution of energy between electrons and ions within these…
In energetic nonthermal sources such as gamma-ray bursts, AGN or galactic jet sources, etc., one expects both relativistic and transrelativistic shocks acompanied by violent motions of moderately relativistic plasma. We present general…
Plasma outflows from gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and relativistic jets, in general, interact with the surrounding medium through collisionless shocks. The microphysics of such shocks are still poorly understood, which, potentially, can…
Electron and ion energization (i.e., heating and nonthermal acceleration) is a fundamental, but poorly understood, outcome of plasma turbulence. In this work, we present new results on this topic from particle-in-cell simulations of driven…
Thermalization and heating of plasma flows at shocks result in unstable charged-particle distributions which generate a wide range of electromagnetic waves. These waves, in turn, can further accelerate and scatter energetic particles. Thus,…
Nonthermal radiation observed from astrophysical systems containing relativistic jets and shocks e.g. gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and microquasars commonly exhibit power-law emission spectra. Recent PIC simulations…
Relativistic unmagnetized cloud-plasma interaction is analyzed by performing linear analysis and particle-in-cell simulation. This course consists of an electron-ion cloud injected into a stationary ambient plasma and has long been a…
To understand the nature of anomalous resistivity in magnetic reconnection, we investigate turbulence-induced momentum transport and energy dissipation while a plasma is unstable to the Buneman instability in force-free current sheets.…
A particle acceleration mechanism by radiation pressure of precursor waves in a relativistic shock is studied. For a relativistic, perpendicular shock with the upstream bulk Lorentz factor of $\gamma_1 \gg 1$, large amplitude…
Collisionless shock waves, found in supernova remnants, interstellar, stellar, and planetary environments, and laboratories, are one of nature's most powerful particle accelerators. This study combines in situ satellite measurements with…
We investigate the interaction of nonthermal ions (protons and nuclei) accelerated in an ultrarelativistic blastwave with the pre-existing magnetic field of the medium into which the blastwave propagates. While particle acceleration…
Collisionless shocks heat electrons in the solar wind, interstellar blast waves, and hot gas permeating galaxy clusters. How much shock heating goes to electrons instead of ions, and what plasma physics controls electron heating? We…
Earth's bow shock is known to produce non-thermal electrons which are generally observed as a `spike' in their flux profile. Here, in this paper, we present an analysis of electron and whistler wave properties for a quasi-perpendicular…
The anisotropic diffusion of electrons with various rigidity and the anomalous conductivity of a collisionless plasma in the presence of Weibel-generated quasi-static turbulent and uniform external magnetic fields are examined. Using an…
We present results from three-dimensional particle simulations of collisionless shocks with relativistic counter-streaming ion-electron plasmas. Particles are followed over many skin depths downstream of the shock. Open boundaries allow the…
The study of collisionless shocks and their role in cosmic-ray acceleration has gained increasing importance through both observations and simulations. Accurately modeling the shock transition region, where particle injection occurs,…