Related papers: Long-term Evolution of Relativistic Unmagnetized C…

In this paper, the first in a series, we present a new theoretical model for the global structure and dissipation of relativistically magnetized collisionless shock waves. Quite remarkably, we find that in contrast to unmagnetized shocks,…

We used unprecedentedly large 2D and 3D hybrid (kinetic ions - fluid electrons) simulations of non-relativistic collisionless strong shocks in order to investigate the effects of self-consistently accelerated ions on the overall shock…

We present a theory of ultrarelativistic collisionless shocks based on the relativistic kinetic two-stream instability. We demonstrate that the shock front is unstable to the generation of small-scale, randomly tangled magnetic fields.…

Understanding the conditions that enable particle acceleration at non-relativistic collisionless shocks is essential to unveil the origin of cosmic rays. We employ 2D and 3D hybrid simulations (with kinetic ions and fluid electrons) to…

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…

We present particle-in-cell simulations of one dimensional relativistic electromagnetic shocks in a uniform magnetic field, for a range of magnetic field strengths, plasma temperatures and numerical initial conditions. We show that the…

The coupling between a rapidly expanding cloud of ionized debris and an ambient magnetized plasma is revisited with a hybrid (kinetic ion/fluid electron) simulation code that allows a study over a wide range of plasma parameters. Over a…

The problem of collisionless shocks is posed as the problem of understanding how in a completely collisionless streaming high-temperature plasma shocks can develop at all, forming discontinuous transition layers of thickness much less than…

A mechanism for explosive magnetic reconnection is investigated by analyzing the nonlinear evolution of a collisionless tearing mode in a two-fluid model that includes the effects of electron inertia and temperature. These effects…

Collisionless shocks in space and astrophysical plasmas mediate energy exchange between charged particles and fields in two or more plasma flows. In this study we analyze the evolution of ion distributions around a reformation cycle of a…

We study the evolution of magnetic fields in cosmic string wakes in a plasma with a low resistivity. The initial magnetic field in the wake is modelled on the magnetic fields that are generated by the motion of particles around cosmic…

Although the origin of cosmic rays (CRs) remains an open question, collisionless magnetized shock waves are widely regarded as key sites for particle acceleration. Recent theories further suggest that shock-shock collisions in stellar…

We investigated the efficiency of coherent upstream large-amplitude electromagnetic wave emission via synchrotron maser instability at relativistic magnetized shocks by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We considered the…

Influence of the plasma collisions on the laser-driven collisionless shock formation and subsequent ion acceleration is studied on the basis of two different collisional algorithms and their implementations in two well-known…

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…

We present a scenario that could explain non-thermal particle acceleration in relativistic quasi-perpendicular electron-positron shocks, such as the termination shock of pulsar wind nebulae. The shock produces a strong electromagnetic…

Using a 2-1/2-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) code to simulate the relativistic expansion of a magnetized collisionless plasma into a vacuum, we report a new mechanism in which the magnetic energy is efficiently converted into the…

We outline transient quasi-magnetostatic phenomena associated with Weibel-type instabilities, mainly, the formation and decay of the current sheets and filaments. We consider a collisionless anisotropic plasma cloud with hot electrons…

We describe numerical simulations, using the particle-in-cell (PIC) and hybrid-PIC code Lsp [T. P. Hughes et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 2, 110401 (1999)], of the head-on merging of two laboratory supersonic plasma jets. The goals of…

This work describes the scientific basis and associated simulation results for the magnetization of an unmagnetized plasma via beat wave current drive. Two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations have been performed for a…