V. P. Vlasov

Induction mechanism of cosmic ray production and kinks in the cosmic ray spectrum

Two kinks are observed in the energy spectrum of galactic cosmic rays. It is shown that the entire spectrum can be described, to a good approximation, by a single formula obtained on the basis of the hypothesis that the particles are produced and accelerated in plasma pinches by an induction mechanism under the assumption that three hierarchical groups of currents are present—interstellar, galactic, and metagalactic.

Model of cosmic ray generation

It is shown that the two bends observed in the cosmic ray energy spectrum can be well approximated by equations derived by assuming that cosmic rays can be generated and accelerated in plasma pinches.

Change in cosmic-ray spectrum through the production of electron-positron pairs (analytical approach)

We consider the change in primordial cosmic-ray spectrum through the production of electron-positron pairs in collisions with cosmic microwave background radiation photons. We suggest using these results to estimate the distances to cosmic-ray sources.

Jets as accelerators of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray particles

The model of a cosmic jet that operates in the regimes of an MHD nozzle and a unipolar inductor is considered. It is shown that the “solid-body” rotation (according to Ferraro’s law) of helical magnetic field lines should lead to an acceleration of a small fraction of the plasma particles to ultrarelativistic energies with a spectrum dq/dɛ ∼ ɛ−n and an index n close to its observed value of n ≈ 2.70–2.75.

Relativistic generalization of quasi-Chaplygin equations

A relativistic generalization of quasi-Chaplygin (quasi-gas) equations describing the evolution of unstable media with negative compressibility is proposed. Examples of the media whose dynamics can be described by the proposed equations are considered. An analytic solution to these nonlinear equations is obtained for the 1D case.

On the oscillations of the plasma atmosphere in gamma-ray bursts

One of the possible hypotheses implies that cosmic gamma-ray bursts can arise when two neutron stars or black holes merge together. These bursts sometimes continue for several tens of seconds, but the time dependence of their intensity often exhibits ∼102–103 almost periodic small peaks with a period of ∼10 ms. A model of oscillations in the lower plasma shell, which arises in cosmic gamma-ray bursts and is located near a neutron star, is proposed; the greater part of arising plasma in the form of an “upper” shell continues to expand into the surroundings. Other possible interpretations of periodicity of the “small peaks” are also analyzed.

“Shallow-water” and “deep-water” approximations in the theory of the disruptive instability of thin current-carrying layers

Within the framework of the two-fluid hydrodynamics of plasmas it is shown that the problem instability of a thin current-carrying layer admits two limiting cases which allow analytic solutions and complement one another. These limits are analogous to the well-known shallow-water and deep-water approximations in the fluid mechanical “wave-breaking” instability. In this case, the long-wave limit coincides with the “quasi-Chaplygin” dynamic system of Bulanov and Sasorov, Fiz Plazmy 4, 746 (1978) [Sov. J. Plasma Phys. 4, 418 (1978)], while the short-wavelength limit corresponds to the phenomenological model of Trubnikov, Usp. Fiz. Nauk 160, 167 (1990) [Sov. Phys. Usp. 33, 87 (1990)], for the clumping of “elementary” currents. In the latter case, strong collapse is unavoidable with the appearance of current filaments that trap a finite current.