Acceleration Mechanics in Relativistic Shocks by the Weibel Instability

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal 2006-05, Vol.642 (2), p.1267-1274
• Main Authors: Nishikawa, K.-I, Hardee, P. E, Hededal, C. B, Fishman, G. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1086/501426

Plasma instabilities (e.g., Buneman, Weibel, and other two-stream instabilities) created in collisionless shocks may be responsible for particle (electron, positron, and ion) acceleration. Using a three-dimensional relativistic electromagnetic particle code, we have investigated long-term particle acceleration associated with relativistic electron-ion or electron-positron jet fronts propagating into an unmagnetized ambient electron-ion or electron-positron plasma. These simulations have been performed with a longer simulation system than our previous simulations in order to investigate the nonlinear stage of the Weibel instability and its particle acceleration mechanism. The current channels generated by the Weibel instability are surrounded by toroidal magnetic fields and radial electric fields. This radial electric field is quasi stationary and accelerates particles that are then deflected by the magnetic field. Whether particles are accelerated or decelerated along the jet propagation direction depends on the velocity of particles and the sign of super(E) X super(B) in the moving frame of each particle. For the electron-ion case the large-scale current channels generated by the ion Weibel instability lead to more acceleration near the jet head. Consequently, the accelerated jet electrons in the electron-ion jet have a significant hump above a thermal distribution. However, in the electron-positron case, accelerated jet electrons have a smoother, nearly thermal distribution. In the electron-positron case, initial acceleration occurs as current channels form and then continues at a much lesser rate as the current channels and corresponding toroidal magnetic fields generated by the Weibel instability dissipate.