Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Nov 1992
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992mnras.259...89b&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (ISSN 0035-8711), vol. 259, no. 1, p. 89-94.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
27
Active Galaxies, Interstellar Magnetic Fields, Particle Acceleration, Shock Waves, Synchrotron Radiation, Astronomical Spectroscopy, Magnetic Field Configurations, Radio Jets (Astronomy), Supernova Remnants
Scientific paper
The acceleration of particles by the Fermi mechanism is widely invoked to explain the synchrotron emission from active galaxies and supernova remnants, and for the origin of cosmic rays. Previous studies have generally assumed that the scattering of the particles is effected by small irregularities in an otherwise uniform magnetic field. Motivated by polarization measurements, particle acceleration in highly disordered magnetic fields is investigated following particle trajectories numerically. Mildly relativistic shocks give rise to synchrotron emission with a spectral index alpha of about 0.5-0.7 in excellent agreement with LF optically thin synchrotron emission from active galaxies. For highly relativistic shock speeds the spectrum steepens (alpha above unity), and may be relevant in explaining emission from blazars.
Ballard K. R.
Heavens Alan F.
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