Related papers: Extreme Plasma Astrophysics
Many problems in astrophysics involve relativistic outflows. The plasma dynamics in these scenarios is critical to determine the conditions for the self-consistent evolution of the fields and particle acceleration. Advances in computer…
High-energy photons (above the MeV) are a powerful probe for astrophysics and for fundamental physics under extreme conditions. During the recent years, our knowledge of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has impressively progressed thanks to…
We discuss the basic features of the propagation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays in astrophysical backgrounds, comparing two alternative computation schemes to compute the expected fluxes. We also discuss the issue of the transition among…
In simulations of a 10PW laser striking a solid we demonstrate the possibility of producing a pure electron-positron plasma by the same processes as those thought to operate in high-energy astrophysical environments. A maximum positron…
The observational evidence for the recent acceleration of the universe demonstrates that canonical theories of cosmology and particle physics are incomplete (or possibly incorrect) and that new physics is out there, waiting to be…
In the modern Universe the existence of various forms of scalar fields is supposed. On the one hand these fields can explain recently discovered positive $\Lambda$-term(see e.g. Ref. \cite{ref:Sahni}), on the other hand its form cluster…
To fully understand the present position concerning so-called dark matter, it is necessary to examine the historical background since, only by following this approach, do all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Here an attempt is made…
Much of modern astrophysics is grounded on the observed chemical compositions of stars and the diffuse plasma that pervades the space between stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies. X-ray and EUV spectra of the hot plasma in the outer…
Propagation of the finite amplitude electromagnetic wave through the partially spin-polarized degenerate plasmas leads to the instability. The instability happens at the interaction of the electromagnetic wave with the small frequency…
Electronic parametric instabilities of an ultrarelativistic circularly polarized laser pulse propagating in underdense plasmas are studied by numerically solving the dispersion relation which includes the effect of the radiation reaction…
Nuclear Astrophysics is a field at the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics, which seeks to understand the nuclear engines of astronomical objects and the origin of the chemical elements. This white paper summarizes progress and…
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays interacting with the radiation fields in the universe cause electromagnetic cascades resulting in a flux of extragalactic gamma rays, detectable to some 100 GeV. Recent precise measurements of the extragalactic…
Interaction of an intense electromagnetic (EM) beam with hot relativistic plasma is investigated. It is shown that the thermal pressure brings about a fundamental change in the dynamics - localized, high amplitude, EM field structures, not…
The lowest-mass stars, brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets span a minimum in the mass-radius relationship that probes the fundamental physics of extreme states of matter, magnetism, and fusion. This White Paper outlines scientific…
A plasma velocity shear layer and/or a tangential flow discontinuity provide conditions allowing for energetic particle acceleration. We review such acceleration processes acting both in non-relativistic and in relativistic flows. In…
Most of our knowledge of the physical processes in distant plasmas is obtained through measurement of the radiation they produce. Here we provide an overview of the main collisional and radiative processes and examples of diagnostics…
Although they were discovered more than 25 years ago, gamma-ray bursts are still a mystery. Even their characteristic distance is highly uncertain. All that we can be confident about is that they involve compact objects and relativistic…
Ultra-relativistic electromagnetic plasmas can be used for improving our understanding of the quark-gluon plasma. In the weakly coupled regime both plasmas can be described by transport theoretical and quantum field theoretical methods…
The electromagnetic instabilities excited by the temperature anisotropy have been always one of the interesting issues in real high-density physical systems, where the relativistic and quantum effects due to spin can be important. This…
The properties (temperature, density, chemical composition, velocity) of hot astrophysical plasma and the physical processes affecting them (heating/cooling, turbulence, shocks, acceleration) can be probed by high resolution X-ray…