Related papers: Electron Preacceleration in Weak Quasi-perpendicul…
Galaxy clusters form through a sequence of mergers of smaller galaxy clusters and groups. Models of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) suggest that in shocks that occur during cluster mergers, particles are accelerated to relativistic…
We discuss the recent developments in the theory of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) by using both first-principle kinetic plasma simulations and analytical theory based on the solution of the convection/diffusion equation. In particular,…
When two galaxy clusters encounter each other, the interaction results in a collisionless shock that is characterized by a low (1-4) sonic Mach number, and a high Alfv{\'e}nic Mach number. Our goal is to determine if, and to what extent,…
Radio relics in galaxy clusters are associated with powerful shocks that (re)accelerate relativistic electrons. It is widely believed that the acceleration proceeds via diffusive shock acceleration. In the framework of thermal leakage, the…
Galaxy clusters grow by gas accretion, mostly from mergers of substructures, which release powerful shock waves into cosmic plasmas and convert a fraction of kinetic energy into thermal energy, amplification of magnetic fields and into the…
The acceleration of charged particles by interplanetary shocks (IPs) can drain a non-negligible fraction of the plasma pressure. In this study, we have selected 17 IPs observed in-situ at $1\,\text{au}$ by the Advanced Composition Explorer…
It has been long believed that oblique and quasi-perpendicular configurations in supernova remnants (SNRs) were inefficient at injecting ions into diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), and that the highest energy Galactic cosmic rays (CRs)…
Collisionless plasma shock theory, which applies for example to the afterglow of gamma ray bursts, still contains key issues that are poorly understood. In this paper we study charged particle dynamics in a highly relativistic collisionless…
Collisionless shocks are common features in space and astrophysical systems where supersonic plasma flows interact, such as in the solar wind, the heliopause, and supernova remnants. Recent experimental capabilities and diagnostics allow…
Non-thermal electron acceleration via magnetic reconnection is thought to play an important role in powering the variable X-ray emission from radiatively inefficient accretion flows around black holes. The trans-relativistic regime of…
A one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation tracks a fast magnetosonic shock over time scales comparable to an inverse ion gyrofrequency. The magnetic pressure is comparable to the thermal pressure upstream. The shock propagates…
We explore nonlinear effects of wave-particle interactions on the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) process in Type Ia-like, SNR blast waves, by implementing phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification, Alfv'enic drift, and…
Most of the observed features of radio {\it gischt} relics such as spectral steepening across the relic width and power-law-like integrated spectrum can be adequately explained by diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model, in which…
We present results from a fully relativistic Monte Carlo simulation of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in unmodified shocks. The computer code uses a single algorithmic sequence to smoothly span the range from nonrelativistic speeds to…
The highly amplified magnetic fields suggested by observations of some supernova remnant (SNR) shells are most likely an intrinsic part of efficient particle acceleration by shocks. This strong turbulence, which may result from cosmic ray…
In this paper we investigate the feasibility of bremsstrahlung radiation from `nonthermal' electrons as a source of hard X-rays from the intracluster medium of clusters of galaxies. With an exact treatment of the Coulomb collisions in a…
Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at relativistic shocks is likely to be an important acceleration mechanism in various astrophysical jet sources, including radio-loud AGN. An important recent development for blazar science is the ability…
We have performed 2D hybrid simulations of non-relativistic collisionless shocks in the presence of pre-existing energetic particles ("seeds"); such a study applies, for instance, to the re-acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) in…
Density inhomogeneities are ubiquitous in space and astrophysical plasmas, particularly at magnetic reconnection sites, shock fronts, and within compressible turbulence. The gradients associated with these inhomogeneous plasma regions serve…
We discuss a semi-analytical solution of the transport equation for electrons at a non-relativistic shock in the presence of synchrotron energy losses. We calculate the spectrum of accelerated (test) particles at any point upstream and…