Related papers: Thermal Particle Injection in Nonlinear Diffusive …
Recent observations by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory have revealed a significant excess of high-energy neutrinos from nearby Seyfert galaxies, such as NGC~1068, without a corresponding flux of high-energy gamma-rays. This suggests that…
Using a so-called hemispherical model we derive a general transport equation for cosmic ray and thermal particles scattered in pitch angle by magnetic inhomogeneities in a moving collisionless plasma. The weak scattering through 90 degrees…
Gamma ray bursts are among the most energetic events in the known universe. A highly relativistic fireball is ejected. In most cases the burst itself is followed by an afterglow, emitted under deceleration as the fireball plunges through…
We study particle acceleration in strongly turbulent pair plasmas using novel 3D Particle-in-Cell simulations, featuring particle injection from an external heat bath and diffusive escape. We demonstrate the formation of steady-state,…
Astrophysical shocks create cosmic rays by accelerating charged particles to relativistic speeds. However, the relative contribution of various types of shocks to the cosmic ray spectrum is still the subject of ongoing debate. Numerical…
Cosmic-rays are ubiquitous, but their origins are surprisingly difficult to understand. A review is presented of some of the basic issues common to cosmic particle accelerators and arguments leading to the likely importance of diffusive…
Stationary solutions to the equations of non-linear diffusive shock acceleration play a fundamental role in the theory of cosmic-ray acceleration. Their existence usually requires that a fraction of the accelerated particles be allowed to…
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…
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…
Relativistic magnetic reconnection has been proposed as an important nonthermal particle acceleration (NTPA) mechanism that generates power-law spectra and high-energy emissions. Power-law particle spectra are in general characterized by…
Cosmology models predict that external accretion shocks form in the outer region of galaxy clusters due to supersonic gas infall from filaments and voids in the cosmic web. They are characterized by high sonic and Alfv\'enic Mach numbers,…
I present a review of nonthermal processes in the large scale structure of the universe. After examining the properties of cosmological shock waves and their role as particle accelerators, I discuss the main observational facts, from radio…
The observed energy spectra of accelerated particles at interplanetary shocks often do not match the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) theory predictions. In some cases, the particle flux forms a plateau over a wide range of energies,…
The expansion of a dense plasma through a more rarefied ionised medium is a phenomenon of interest in various physics environments ranging from astrophysics to high energy density laser- matter laboratory experiments. Here this situation is…
The departure of particle distributions from the Maxwellian is commonly observed in space plasmas. These non-Maxwellian distributions which are typical for plasmas that are not in thermal equilibrium, can be modeled with…
We review the present status of the cosmic ray acceleration theory in mildly relativistic shock waves. Due to the involved substantial particle anisotropies analytical methods can tackle only simple situations involving weakly turbulent…
In order for diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) to accelerate particles to high energies, the energetic particles must be able to interact with magnetic turbulence over a broad wavelength range. The weakly anisotropic distribution of…
Magnetized collisionless shocks drive particle acceleration broadly in space and astrophysics. We perform the first large-scale particle-in-cell simulations with realistic laboratory parameters (density, temperature, and velocity) to…
Astrophysical shocks are often studied in the high Mach number limit but weakly compressive fast shocks can occur in magnetic reconnection outflows and are considered to be a site of particle energization in solar flares. Here we study the…
Particle acceleration at plasma shocks appears to be ubiquitous in the universe, spanning systems in the heliosphere, supernova remnants, and relativistic jets in distant active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts. This review addresses some of…