Efficient Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Shocks

Details Efficient Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Shocks Efficient Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Shocks

Nov 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004aps..dpphm2002e&link_type=abstract

American Physical Society, 46th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, 15-19 November, 2004, Savannah, GA. MEETING I

Physics

Plasma Physics

Scientific paper

Unlike on Earth, nonthermal particle distributions exist in great profusion in low density space plasmas. Galactic cosmic rays are the most extreme example with some cosmic rays extending to energies above 10^20 eV - by far the highest-energy nucleons ever observed! Understanding the origin and interactions of these particles is essential for understanding cosmic sources since these particles are often numerous enough to significantly alter the dynamics and nature of the sources. Furthermore, many sources, such as extra-galactic radio jets, are only seen because they produce highly relativistic particles. It is now believed that collisionless shocks may be responsible for many of the nonthermal particles we observe from space. Because shock acceleration is efficient, it is highly nonlinear and difficult to describe analytically. Therefore, much of the current work is done with computer simulations and by direct comparison between models and spacecraft observations of shocks in the heliosphere and elsewhere. I will discuss nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration with particular emphasis placed on modeling cosmic ray production in supernova remnants (SNRs). If efficient diffusive shock acceleration is occurring in young SNRs, it will produce distinct morphological and spectral signatures observable with current and future radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observatories.

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