Related papers: Relativistic oblique shocks with ordered or random…
Perpendicular relativistic ($\gamma_0=10$) shocks in magnetized pair plasmas are investigated using two dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations. A systematic survey, from unmagnetized to strongly magnetized shocks, is presented accurately…
Shock jump conditions are obtained for steady-state, plane shocks with oblique magnetic fields and arbitrary flow speeds. For ultrarelativistic and nonrelativistic shocks, the jump conditions may be solved analytically. For mildly…
We review the physics of relativistic shocks, which are often invoked as the sources of non-thermal particles in pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets, and as possible sources of…
The afterglow emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is usually interpreted as synchrotron radiation from electrons accelerated at the GRB external shock, that propagates with relativistic velocities into the magnetized interstellar medium.…
(Please note that the abstract has been significantly shorted) We investigate Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) internal shocks with moderate magnetization, with the magnetization parameter $\sigma$ ranging from 0.001 to 10. Possible magnetic…
The strong variability of magnetic central engines of AGN and GRBs may result in highly intermittent strongly magnetized relativistic outflows. We find a new magnetic acceleration mechanism for such impulsive flows that can be much more…
We point out that the already existing literature on relativistic collisionless MHD shocks show that the parameter sigma= upstream proper magnetic energy density/upstream rest mass energy density, plays an important role in determining the…
Relativistic magnetized shocks are a natural source of coherent emission, offering a plausible radiative mechanism for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). We present first-principles 3D simulations that provide essential information for the FRB…
A relativistic collisionless shock propagating into an unmagnetized medium leaves behind a strong large-scale magnetic field. This seems to follow from two assumptions: (i) GRB afterglows are explained by synchrotron emission of a…
The early optical afterglow emission of several gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) shows a high linear polarization degree (PD) of tens of percent, suggesting an ordered magnetic field in the emission region. The light curves are consistent with being…
Relativistic shocks are usually thought to occur in violent astrophysical explosions. These collisionless shocks are mediated by a plasma kinetic streaming instability, often loosely referred to as the Weibel instability, which generates…
We revisit the radiation mechanism of relativistic electrons in the stochastic magnetic field and apply it to the high-energy emissions of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We confirm that jitter radiation is a possible explanation for GRB prompt…
The efficiency of particle acceleration at shock waves in relativistic, magnetized astrophysical outflows is a debated topic with far-reaching implications. Here, for the first time, we study the impact of turbulence in the pre-shock…
This paper presents numerical simulations of test particle Fermi acceleration at relativistic shocks of Lorentz factor Gamma_sh = 2-60, using a realistic downstream magnetic structure obtained from the shock jump conditions. The upstream…
Magnetic fields play a dual role in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). First, GRB and afterglow spectra (the latter interpreted as emission from external shocks) imply synchrotron radiation in a magnetic field that is a significant fraction of…
We investigate shock structure and particle acceleration in relativistic magnetized collisionless pair shocks by means of 2.5D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. We explore a range of inclination angles between the pre-shock magnetic…
Relativistic shocks are present in all high-energy astrophysical processes involving relativistic plasma outflows interacting with their ambient medium. While a well understood process in the context of relativistic hydrodynamics and ideal…
We consider a model in which the ultra-relativistic jet in a gamma-ray burst (GRB) is cold and magnetically accelerated. We assume that the energy flux in the outflowing material is partially thermalized via internal shocks or a reverse…
This paper presents a new method of Monte-Carlo simulations of test particle Fermi acceleration at relativistic shocks. The particle trajectories in tangled magnetic fields are integrated out exactly from entry to exit through the shock,…
(Abridged): We study the collision of magnetized irregularities (shells) in relativistic outflows in order to explain the origin of the generic phenomenology observed in the non-thermal emission of both blazars and gamma-ray bursts. We…