Shuichi Matsukiyo

Relativistic electron shock drift acceleration in low mach number galaxy cluster shocks

An extreme case of electron shock drift acceleration (SDA) in low Mach number collisionless shocks is investigated as a plausible mechanism for the initial acceleration of relativistic electrons in large-scale shocks in galaxy clusters, where the upstream plasma temperature is of the order of 10 keV and the degree of magnetization is not too small. One-dimensional electromagnetic full particle simulations reveal that, even when a shock is rather moderate, a part of the thermal incoming electrons are accelerated and reflected through relativistic SDA and form a local non-thermal population just upstream of the shock. The accelerated electrons can self-generate local coherent waves and further be back-scattered toward the shock by those waves. This may be a scenario for the first stage of the electron shock acceleration occurring at the large-scale shocks in galaxy clusters, such as CIZA J2242.8+5301, which have well-defined radio relics.

A numerical electromagnetic linear dispersion relation for Maxwellian ring-beam velocity distributions

A positive slope in a velocity distribution function perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field, such as due to a loss cone or ring velocity distribution, can become a free energy source for the excitation of various plasma waves. Since there exists no analytic expression for integrals of Maxwellian ring velocity distribution functions, their linear properties have previously been studied using several approximations or modeled distributions. In this paper, a numerical method for analyzing the linear dispersion relation for Maxwellian ring-beam velocity distributions is developed. The obtained linear properties are confirmed by direct comparison with full particle simulation results.

Mach number dependence of electron heating in high Mach number quasiperpendicular shocks

The efficiency of electron heating through microinstabilities generated in the transition region of a quasiperpendicular shock for a wide range of Mach numbers is investigated by utilizing particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation and model analyses. In the model analyses saturation levels of effective electron temperature as a result of microinstabilities are estimated from an extended quasilinear (trapping) analysis for relatively low (high) Mach number shocks. Here, modified two-stream instability (MTSI) is assumed to become dominant in low Mach number regime, while Buneman instability (BI) is assumed to become dominant in high Mach number regime. It is revealed that Mach number dependence of the effective electron temperature in the MTSI dominant case is essentially different from that in the BI dominant case. The effective electron temperature through the MTSI does not depend much on the Mach number, although that through the BI increases with the Mach number as in the past studies. The results are confirmed...

Microinstabilities at perpendicular collisionless shocks: A comparison of full particle simulations with different ion to electron mass ratio

A full particle simulation study is carried out for studying microinstabilities generated at the shock front of perpendicular collisionless shocks. The structure and dynamics of shock waves are determined by Alfven Mach number and plasma beta, while microinstabilities are controlled by the ratio of the upstream bulk velocity to the electron thermal velocity and the plasma-to-cyclotron frequency. Thus, growth rates of microinstabilities are changed by the ion-to-electron mass ratio, even with the same Mach number and plasma beta. The present two-dimensional simulations show that the electron cyclotron drift instability is dominant for a lower mass ratio, and electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves are excited. For a higher mass ratio, the modified two-stream instability is dominant and oblique electromagnetic whistler waves are excited, which can affect the structure and dynamics of collisionless shocks by modifying shock magnetic fields.

RELATIVISTIC PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN DEVELOPING ALFVÉN TURBULENCE

A new particle acceleration process in a developing Alfv?n turbulence in the course of successive parametric instabilities of a relativistic pair plasma is investigated by utilizing one-dimensional electromagnetic full particle code. Coherent wave-particle interactions result in efficient particle acceleration leading to a power-law-like energy distribution function. In the simulation, high-energy particles having large relativistic masses are preferentially accelerated as the turbulence spectrum evolves in time. The main acceleration mechanism is simultaneous relativistic resonance between a particle and two different waves. An analytical expression of maximum attainable energy in such wave-particle interactions is derived.

Dynamics and microinstabilities at perpendicular collisionless shock: A comparison of large-scale two-dimensional full particle simulations with different ion to electron mass ratio

Large-scale two-dimensional (2D) full particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are carried out for studying the relationship between the dynamics of a perpendicular shock and microinstabilities generated at the shock foot. The structure and dynamics of collisionless shocks are generally determined by Alfven Mach number and plasma beta, while microinstabilities at the shock foot are controlled by the ratio of the upstream bulk velocity to the electron thermal velocity and the ratio of the plasma-to-cyclotron frequency. With a fixed Alfven Mach number and plasma beta, the ratio of the upstream bulk velocity to the electron thermal velocity is given as a function of the ion-to-electron mass ratio. The present 2D full PIC simulations with a relatively low Alfven Mach number (MA ∼ 6) show that the modified two-stream instability is dominant with higher ion-to-electron mass ratios. It is also confirmed that waves propagating downstream are more enhanced at the shock foot near the shock ramp as the mass ratio becomes ...

Kinetic effects on the parametric decays of Alfvén waves in relativistic pair plasmas

Parametric decays of a circularly polarized wave propagating along a constant magnetic field in an electronpositron plasma are studied. Fully relativistic effects on the particle velocity in the wave field are considered, as well as kinetic effects in the parallel direction, by means of a one-dimensional relativistic Vlasov equation. In this approximation, a dispersion relation is found for the parametric decays which describes the coupling between normal modes of the system, namely electromagnetic sideband modes and Langmuir waves.

Simulations of pickup ion mediated quasi‐perpendicular shocks: Implications for the heliospheric termination shock

The microstructure of the heliospheric termination shock and the accompanied local acceleration processes of both ions and electrons are investigated by utilizing one-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulations for a variety of parameters. The relative pickup ion density is assumed to be 20–30%. The magnetic field and the shock potential profiles exhibit significant differences, since the former mostly reflects the dynamics of solar wind ions, whereas the latter is mainly sustained by the bulk motion of the reflected pickup ions in the extended foot. The discrepancy between the magnetic field profile and the potential profile increases with Alfven Mach number. Most of the downstream thermal energy is gained by the pickup ions, while some heating of the solar wind ions and electrons occurs through the modified two-stream instability excited in the extended foot. Self-reformation can occur when the relative pickup ion density is 20% but is blurred when it becomes as large as 30%. Reformation is also suppressed if the local solar wind ion temperature in the extended foot is high, which can either be due to heating by the modified two-stream instability or is already determined by the solar wind temperature far upstream. In all runs presented in this study no evidence for shock surfing acceleration of pickup ions could be found. Nonthermal particle acceleration occurs for oblique shocks. Electron (pickup ion) shock drift acceleration is evidenced when the shock angle is below 80° (60°).

TIME EVOLUTION of KELVIN-HELMHOLTZ VORTICES ASSOCIATED with COLLISIONLESS SHOCKS in LASER-PRODUCED PLASMAS

We report experimental results on Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability and resultant vortices in laser-produced plasmas. By irradiating a double plane target with a laser beam, asymmetric counterstreaming plasmas are created. The interaction of the plasmas with different velocities and densities results in the formation of asymmetric shocks, where the shear flow exists along the contact surface and the KH instability is excited. We observe the spatial and temporal evolution of plasmas and shocks with time-resolved diagnostics over several shots. Our results clearly show the evolution of transverse fluctuations, wavelike structures, and circular features, which are interpreted as the KH instability and resultant vortices. The relevant numerical simulations demonstrate the time evolution of KH vortices and show qualitative agreement with experimental results. Shocks, and thus the contact surfaces, are ubiquitous in the universe; our experimental results show general consequences where two plasmas interact.

Model experiment of magnetic field amplification in laser-produced plasmas via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability

A model experiment of magnetic field amplification (MFA) via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) in supernova remnants (SNRs) was performed using a high-power laser. In order to account for very-fast acceleration of cosmic rays observed in SNRs, it is considered that the magnetic field has to be amplified by orders of magnitude from its background level. A possible mechanism for the MFA in SNRs is stretching and mixing of the magnetic field via the RMI when shock waves pass through dense molecular clouds in interstellar media. In order to model the astrophysical phenomenon in laboratories, there are three necessary factors for the RMI to be operative: a shock wave, an external magnetic field, and density inhomogeneity. By irradiating a double-foil target with several laser beams with focal spot displacement under influence of an external magnetic field, shock waves were excited and passed through the density inhomogeneity. Radiative hydrodynamic simulations show that the RMI evolves as the density inhomogeneity is shocked, resulting in higher MFA.