Posts Tagged particle acceleration

Recent Postings from particle acceleration

Modeling Bright Gamma-ray and Radio Emission at Fast Cloud Shocks

Recent observations by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi satellite have revealed bright gamma-ray emission from middle-aged supernova remnants (SNRs) inside our Galaxy. These remnants, which also possess bright non-thermal radio shells, are often found to be interacting directly with surrounding gas clouds. We explore the non-thermal emission mechanism at these dynamically evolved SNRs by constructing a hydrodynamical model. Two scenarios of particle acceleration, either a re-acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) or an efficient nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (NLDSA) of particles injected from downstream, are considered. Using parameters inferred from observations, our models are contrasted with the observed spectra of SNR W44. For the re-acceleration case, we predict a significant enhancement of radio and GeV emission as the SNR undergoes a transition into the radiative phase. If sufficiently strong magnetic turbulence is present in the molecular cloud, the re-acceleration scenario can explain the observed broadband spectral properties. The NLDSA scenario also succeeds in explaining the $\gamma$-ray spectrum but fails to reproduce the radio spectral index. Efficient NLDSA also results in a significant post-shock non-thermal pressure that limits the compression during cooling and prevents the formation of a prominent dense shell. Some other interesting differences between the two models in hydrodynamical behavior and resulting spectral features are illustrated.

Characterization of the Inner Knot of the Crab: The Site of the Gamma-ray Flares?

One of the most intriguing results from the gamma-ray instruments in orbit has been the detection of powerful flares from the Crab Nebula. These flares challenge our understanding of pulsar wind nebulae and models for particle acceleration. We report on the portion of a multiwavelength campaign using Keck, HST, and Chandra concentrating on a small emitting region, the Crab’s inner knot, located a fraction of an arcsecond from the pulsar. We find that the knot’s radial size, tangential size, peak flux, and the ratio of the flux to that of the pulsar are correlated with the projected distance of the knot from the pulsar. A new approach, using singular value decomposition for analyzing time series of images, was introduced yielding results consistent with the more traditional methods while some uncertainties were substantially reduced. We exploit the characterization of the knot to discuss constraints on standard shock-model parameters that may be inferred from our observations assuming the inner knot lies near to the shocked surface. These include inferences as to wind magnetization, shock shape parameters such as incident angle and poloidal radius of curvature, as well as the IR/optical emitting particle enthalpy fraction. We find that while the standard shock model gives good agreement with observation in many respects, there remain two puzzles: (a) The observed angular size of the knot relative to the pulsar–knot separation is much smaller than expected; (b) The variable, yet high degree of polarization reported is difficult to reconcile with a highly relativistic downstream flow.

On the polar cap cascade pair multiplicity of young pulsars

We study the efficiency of pair production in polar caps of young pulsars under a variety of conditions to estimate the maximum possible multiplicity of pair plasma in pulsar magnetospheres. We develop a semi-analytic model for calculation of cascade multiplicity which allows efficient exploration of the parameter space and corroborate it with direct numerical simulations. Pair creation processes are considered separately from particle acceleration in order to assess different factors affecting cascade efficiency, with acceleration of primary particles described by recent self-consistent non-stationary model of pair cascades. We argue that the most efficient cascades operate in the curvature radiation/synchrotron regime, the maximum multiplicity of pair plasma in pulsar magnetospheres is ~few x 10^5. The multiplicity of pair plasma in magnetospheres of young energetic pulsars weakly depends on the strength of the magnetic field and the radius of curvature of magnetic field lines and has a stronger dependence on pulsar inclination angle. This result questions assumptions about very high pair plasma multiplicity in theories of pulsar wind nebulae.

Particle Acceleration and Plasma Dynamics during Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetically-dominated Regime

Magnetic reconnection is thought to be the driver for many explosive phenomena in the universe. The energy release and particle acceleration during reconnection have been proposed as a mechanism for producing high-energy emissions and cosmic rays. We carry out two- and three-dimensional kinetic simulations to investigate relativistic magnetic reconnection and the associated particle acceleration. The simulations focus on electron-positron plasmas starting with a magnetically dominated, force-free current sheet ($\sigma \equiv B^2/(4\pi n_e m_e c^2) \gg 1$). For this limit, we demonstrate that relativistic reconnection is highly efficient at accelerating particles through a first-order Fermi process accomplished by the curvature drift of particles along the electric field induced by the relativistic flows. This mechanism gives rise to the formation of hard power-law spectra $f \propto (\gamma-1)^{-p}$ and approaches $p = 1$ for sufficiently large $\sigma$ and system size. Eventually most of the available magnetic free energy is converted into nonthermal particle kinetic energy. An analytic model is presented to explain the key results and predict a general condition for the formation of power-law distributions. The development of reconnection in these regimes leads to relativistic inflow and outflow speeds and enhanced reconnection rates relative to non-relativistic regimes. In the three-dimensional simulation, the interplay between secondary kink and tearing instabilities leads to strong magnetic turbulence, but does not significantly change the energy conversion, reconnection rate, or particle acceleration. This study suggests that relativistic reconnection sites are strong sources of nonthermal particles, which may have important implications to a variety of high-energy astrophysical problems.

Particle acceleration in superluminal strong waves

We calculate the electron acceleration in random superluminal strong waves (SLSWs) and radiation from them by using numerical methods in the context of the termination shock of the pulsar wind nebulae. We pursue the electrons by solving the equation of motion in the analytically expressed electromagnetic turbulences. These consist of primary SLSW and isotropically distributed secondary electromagnetic waves. Under the dominance of the secondary waves, all electrons gain nearly equal energy. On the other hand, when the primary wave is dominant, selective acceleration occurs. The phase of the primary wave felt by the electrons moving nearly along the wavevector changes very slowly compared to the oscillation of the wave, which is called "phase locked", and such electrons are continuously accelerated. This acceleration by SLSWs may play a crucial role in the pre-acceleration for the shock acceleration. In general, the radiation from the phase-locked population is different from the synchro-Compton radiation. However, when the amplitude of the secondary waves is not extremely weaker than that of the primary wave, the typical frequency can be estimated from the synchro-Compton theory by using the secondary waves. The primary wave does not contribute to the radiation, because the SLSW accelerates electrons almost linearly. This radiation can be observed as a radio knot at the upstream of the termination shock of the pulsar wind nebulae without counter parts in higher frequency range.

On the continuum radio-spectrum of Cas A: possible evidence of the non-linear particle acceleration

Integrated radio-spectrum of Cas A in continuum was analyzed with special emphasis on possible high frequency spectral curvature. We conclude that the most probable scenario is that Planck’s new data reveal the imprint of non-linear particle acceleration in the case of this young Galactic supernova remnant (SNR).

On the cosmic ray spectrum from type II Supernovae expanding in their red giant presupernova wind

While from the energetic point of view SNRs are viable sources of Galactic CRs, the issue of whether they can accelerate protons up to PeV remains unsolved. Here we discuss particle acceleration at the forward shock of SN and discuss the possibility that the escaping particle current may excite a non-resonant instability that in turn leads to the formation of resonant modes confining particles close to the shock and increasing the maximum energy. This mechanism works throughout the expansion of the SN explosion, from the ejecta dominated (ED) to the Sedov-Taylor (ST) phase. Because of their higher explosion rate,we focus on type II SNae expanding in the slow, dense red supergiant wind. When the explosion occurs in such winds, the transition between the ED and the ST phase is likely to take place within a few tens of years. As a result, the spectrum of accelerated particles shows a break in the slope, at the maximum energy (Em) achieved at the beginning of the ST phase. Above this energy, the spectrum becomes steeper but remains a power law than developing an exponential cutoff. We show that for type II SNae typical parameters, proton Em can easily reach PeV energies, confirming that type II SNRs are the best candidate sources for CRs at the knee. We have tried to fit KASCADE-Grande, ARGO -YBJ and YAC1-Tibet Array data with our model but we could not find any parameter combination that could explain all data sets. Indeed the recent measurement of the proton and helium spectra in the knee region, with the ARGO-YBJ and YAC1-Tibet Array, has made the situation very confused. These measurements suggest that the knee in the light component is at 650 TeV, appreciably below the overall spectrum knee. This finding would resolve the problem of reaching very high energies in SNae, but, on the other hand, it would open a critical issue in the transition region between Galactic and extragalactic CRs.

Particle acceleration and radiation in Pulsar Wind Nebulae

Pulsar Wind Nebulae are the astrophysical sources that host the most relativistic shocks in Nature and the only Galactic sources in which we have direct evidence of PeV particles. These facts make them very interesting from the point of view of particle acceleration physics, and their proximity and brightness make them a place where fundamental processes common to different classes of relativistic sources have a better chance to be understood. I will discuss how well we understand the physics of Pulsar Wind Nebulae, describing recent progress and highlighting the main open questions. I will be mostly concerned with the subject of particle acceleration, but, as we will see, in order to clarify the physics of this process, it is important to determine the conditions of the plasma in the nebula. These in turn can only be constrained through detailed modelling of the PWN dynamics and radiation. The shock in the Crab Nebula is probably the most efficient accelerator known, both in terms of conversion of the flow energy into accelerated particles (tens of percent) and in terms of maximum energy achieved ($\approx 10^{15}$ eV). I will review the different mechanisms proposed to explain particle acceleration and recent constraints derived from the comparison of synthetic emission maps with multi-wavelength data, including variability.

Particle Acceleration in Astrophysical Sources

Astrophysical sources are extremely efficient accelerators. Some sources emit photons up to multi-TeV energies, a signature of the presence, within them, of particles with energies much higher than those achievable with the largest accelerators on Earth. Even more compelling evidence comes from the study of Cosmic Rays, charged relativistic particles that reach the Earth with incredibly high energies: at the highest energy end of their spectrum, these subatomic particles are carrying a macroscopic energy, up to a few Joules. Here I will address the best candidate sources and mechanisms as cosmic particle accelerators. I will mainly focus on Galactic sources such as Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae, which being close and bright, are the best studied among astrophysical accelerators. These sources are held responsible for most of the energy that is put in relativistic particles in the Universe, but they are not thought to accelerate particles up to the highest individual energies, $\approx 10^{20}$ eV. However they allow us to study in great detail acceleration mechanisms such as shock acceleration (both in the newtonian and relativistic regime) or magnetic reconnection, the same processes that are likely to be operating also in more powerful sources.

Missing Gamma-Rays from kpc-scale AGN Jets: A Test of the IC/CMB Model

The physical origin of the X-ray emission in powerful quasar jets has been a long-standing mystery. Though these jets start out on the sub-pc scale as highly relativistic flows, we do not have any direct measurement of their speeds on the kpc scale, where the vast distances from the core necessitate in situ particle acceleration. If the jets remain highly relativistic on kpc scales, then the X-rays could be due to inverse-Compton upscattering of CMB photons. However, the IC/CMB explanation predicts a high level of gamma-ray emission, which should be detectible by the Fermi/LAT. We have searched for and ruled out this emission at a high level of significance for the well-known sources 3C 273 and PKS 0637-752, suggesting the X-rays are synchrotron, though of unknown origin. These recent results with Fermi also suggest that the kpc-scale jets in powerful quasars are significantly slower than have been presumed under the IC/CMB model. I will discuss the surprising implications of these findings for the energetics and radiative output of powerful quasars as well as their impact on their environment.

Missing Gamma-Rays from kpc-scale AGN Jets: A Test of the IC/CMB Model [Replacement]

The physical origin of the X-ray emission in powerful quasar jets has been a long-standing mystery. Though these jets start out on the sub-pc scale as highly relativistic flows, we do not have any direct measurement of their speeds on the kpc scale, where the vast distances from the core necessitate in situ particle acceleration. If the jets remain highly relativistic on kpc scales, then the X-rays could be due to inverse-Compton upscattering of CMB photons. However, the IC/CMB explanation predicts a high level of gamma-ray emission, which should be detectible by the Fermi/LAT. We have searched for and ruled out this emission at a high level of significance for the well-known sources 3C 273 and PKS 0637-752, suggesting the X-rays are synchrotron, though of unknown origin. These recent results with Fermi also suggest that the kpc-scale jets in powerful quasars are significantly slower than have been presumed under the IC/CMB model. I will discuss the surprising implications of these findings for the energetics and radiative output of powerful quasars as well as their impact on their environment.

Constraints on particle acceleration sites in the Crab Nebula from relativistic MHD simulations

The Crab Nebula is one of the most efficient accelerators in the Galaxy and the only galactic source showing direct evidence of PeV particles. In spite of this, the physical process behind such effective acceleration is still a deep mystery. While particle acceleration, at least at the highest energies, is commonly thought to occur at the pulsar wind termination shock, the properties of the upstream flow are thought to be non-uniform along the shock surface, and important constraints on the mechanism at work come from exact knowledge of where along this surface particles are being accelerated. Here we use axisymmetric relativistic MHD simulations to obtain constraints on the acceleration site(s) of particles of different energies in the Crab Nebula. Various scenarios are considered for the injection of particles responsible for synchrotron radiation in the different frequency bands, radio, optical and X-rays. The resulting emission properties are compared with available data on the multi wavelength time variability of the inner nebula. Our main result is that the X-ray emitting particles are accelerated in the equatorial region of the pulsar wind. Possible implications on the nature of the acceleration mechanism are discussed.

Shedding new light on the Sun with the Fermi LAT

During its first six years of operation, the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected >30 MeV gamma-ray emission from more than 40 solar flares, nearly a factor of 10 more than those detected by EGRET. These include detections of impulsive and sustained emissions, extending up to 20 hours in the case of the 2012 March 7 X-class flares. We will present an overview of solar flare detections with LAT, highlighting recent results and surprising features, including the detection of >100 MeV emission associated with flares located behind the limb. Such flares may shed new light on the relationship between the sites of particle acceleration and gamma-ray emission.

Angular Momentum Transport and Particle Acceleration during Magnetorotational Instability in a Kinetic Accretion Disk

Angular momentum transport and particle acceleration during the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a collisionless accretion disk are investigated using three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. We show that the kinetic MRI can provide not only high energy particle acceleration but also enhancement of angular momentum transport. We find that the plasma pressure anisotropy inside the channel flow with $p_{\|} > p_{\perp}$ induced by active magnetic reconnection suppresses the onset of subsequent reconnection, which in turn leads to high magnetic field saturation and enhancement of Maxwell stress tensor of angular momentum transport. Meanwhile, during the quiescent stage of reconnection the plasma isotropization progresses in the channel flow, and the anisotropic plasma with $p_{\perp} > p_{\|}$ due to the dynamo action of MRI outside the channel flow contributes to rapid reconnection and strong particle acceleration. This efficient particle acceleration and enhanced angular momentum transport in a collisionless accretion disk may explain the origin of high energy particles observed around massive black holes.

Insights into the particle acceleration of a peculiar gamma -ray radio galaxy IC 310

IC 310 has recently been identified as a gamma-ray emitter based on observations at GeV energies with Fermi-LAT and at very high energies (VHE, E > 100 GeV) with the MAGIC telescopes. Despite IC 310 having been classified as a radio galaxy with the jet observed at an angle > 10 degrees, it exhibits a mixture of multiwavelength properties of a radio galaxy and a blazar, possibly making it a transitional object. On the night of 12/13th of November 2012 the MAGIC telescopes observed a series of violent outbursts from the direction of IC 310 with flux-doubling time scales faster than 5 min and a peculiar spectrum spreading over 2 orders of magnitude. Such fast variability constrains the size of the emission region to be smaller than 20% of the gravitational radius of its central black hole, challenging the shock acceleration models, commonly used in explanation of gamma-ray radiation from active galaxies. Here we will show that this emission can be associated with pulsar-like particle acceleration by the electric field across a magnetospheric gap at the base of the jet.

PAMELA's Measurements of Magnetospheric Effects on High Energy Solar Particles

The nature of particle acceleration at the Sun, whether through flare reconnection processes or through shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), is still under scrutiny despite decades of research. The measured properties of solar energetic particles (SEPs) have long been modeled in different particle-acceleration scenarios. The challenge has been to disentangle to the effects of transport from those of acceleration. The Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) instrument, enables unique observations of SEPs including composition and the angular distribution of the particles about the magnetic field, i.e. pitch angle distribution, over a broad energy range (>80 MeV) — bridging a critical gap between space-based measurements and ground-based. We present high-energy SEP data from PAMELA acquired during the 2012 May 17 SEP event. These data exhibit differential anisotropies and thus transport features over the instrument rigidity range. SEP protons exhibit two distinct pitch angle distributions; a low-energy population that extends to 90{\deg} and a population that is beamed at high energies (>1 GeV), consistent with neutron monitor measurements. To explain a low-energy SEP population that exhibits significant scattering or redistribution accompanied by a high-energy population that reaches the Earth relatively unaffected by dispersive transport effects, we postulate that the scattering or redistribution takes place locally. We believe these are the first comprehensive measurements of the effects of solar energetic particle transport in the Earth’s magnetosheath.

The Emission of Electromagnetic Radiation from Charges Accelerated by Gravitational Waves and its Astrophysical Implications

We provide calculations and theoretical arguments supporting the emission of electromagnetic radiation from charged particles accelerated by gravitational waves (GWs). These waves have significant indirect evidence to support their existence, yet they interact weakly with ordinary matter. We show that the induced oscillations of charged particles interacting with a GW, which lead to the emission of electromagnetic radiation, will also result in wave attenuation. These ideas are supported by a small body of literature, as well as additional arguments for particle acceleration based on GW memory effects. We derive order of magnitude power calculations for various initial charge distributions accelerated by GWs. The resulting power emission is extremely small for all but very strong GWs interacting with large quantities of charge. If the results here are confirmed and supplemented, significant consequences such as attenuation of early universe GWs could result. Additionally, this effect could extend GW detection techniques into the electromagnetic regime. These explorations are worthy of study to determine the presence of such radiation, as it is extremely important to refine our theoretical framework in an era of active GW astrophysics.

Particle acceleration and radiation friction effects in the filamentation instability of pair plasmas [Cross-Listing]

The evolution of the filamentation instability produced by two counter-streaming pair plasmas is studied with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in both one (1D) and two (2D) spatial dimensions. Radiation friction effects on particles are taken into account. After an exponential growth of both the magnetic field and the current density, a nonlinear quasi-stationary phase sets up characterized by filaments of opposite currents. During the nonlinear stage, a strong broadening of the particle energy spectrum occurs accompanied by the formation of a peak at twice their initial energy. A simple theory of the peak formation is presented. The presence of radiative losses does not change the dynamics of the instability but affects the structure of the particle spectra.

Effect of collisions and magnetic convergence on electron acceleration and transport in reconnecting twisted solar flare loops

We study a model of particle acceleration coupled with an MHD model of magnetic reconnection in unstable twisted coronal loops. The kink instability leads to the formation of helical currents with strong parallel electric fields resulting in electron acceleration. The motion of electrons in the electric and magnetic fields of the reconnecting loop is investigated using a test-particle approach taking into account collisional scattering. We discuss the effects of Coulomb collisions and magnetic convergence near loop footpoints on the spatial distribution and energy spectra of high-energy electron populations and possible implications on the hard X-ray emission in solar flares.

Particle acceleration and transport in reconnecting twisted loops in a stratified atmosphere

Twisted coronal loops should be ubiquitous in the solar corona. Twisted magnetic fields contain excess magnetic energy, which can be released during magnetic reconnection, causing solar flares. The aim of this work is to investigate magnetic reconnection, and particle acceleration and transport in kink-unstable twisted coronal loops, with a focus on the effects of resistivity, loop geometry and atmospheric stratification. Another aim is to perform forward-modelling of bremsstrahlung emission and determine the structure of hard X-ray sources. We use a combination of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and test-particle methods. First, the evolution of the kinking coronal loop is considered using resistive MHD model, incorporating atmospheric stratification and loop curvature. Then, the obtained electric and magnetic fields and density distributions are used to calculate electron and proton trajectories using a guiding-centre approximation, taking into account Coulomb collisions. It is shown that electric fields in twisted coronal loops can effectively accelerate protons and electrons to energies up to 10 MeV. High-energy particles have hard, nearly power-law energy spectra. The volume occupied by high-energy particles demonstrates radial expansion, which results in the expansion of the visible hard X-ray loop and a gradual increase in hard X-ray footpoint area. Synthesised hard X-ray emission reveals strong footpoint sources and the extended coronal source, whose intensity strongly depends on the coronal loop density.

Gamma-ray novae as probes of relativistic particle acceleration at non-relativistic shocks [Replacement]

The Fermi LAT discovery that classical novae produce >100 MeV gamma-rays establishes that shocks and relativistic particle acceleration are key features of these events. These shocks are likely to be radiative due to the high densities of the nova ejecta at early times coincident with the gamma-ray emission. Thermal X-rays radiated behind the shock are absorbed by neutral gas and reprocessed into optical emission, similar to Type IIn (interacting) supernovae. Gamma-rays are produced by collisions between relativistic protons with the nova ejecta (hadronic scenario) or Inverse Compton/bremsstrahlung emission from relativistic electrons (leptonic scenario), where in both scenarios the efficiency for converting relativistic particle energy into LAT gamma-rays is at most a few tens of per cent. The ratio of gamma-ray and optical luminosities, L_gam/L_opt, thus sets a lower limit on the fraction of the shock power used to accelerate relativistic particles, e_nth. The measured values of L_gam/L_opt for two classical novae, V1324 Sco and V339 Del, constrains e_nth > 1e-2 and > 1e-3, respectively. Inverse Compton models for the gamma-ray emission are disfavored given the low electron acceleration efficiency, e_nth ~ 1e-4-1e-3, inferred from observations of Galactic cosmic rays and particle-in-cell (PIC) numerical simulations. A fraction > 100(0.01/e_nth) and > 10(0.01/e_nth) per cent of the optical luminosity is powered by shocks in V1324 Sco and V339 Del, respectively. Such high fractions challenge standard models that instead attribute all nova optical emission to the direct outwards transport of thermal energy released near the white dwarf surface.

Gamma-ray novae as probes of relativistic particle acceleration at non-relativistic shocks

The Fermi LAT discovery that classical novae produce >100 MeV gamma-rays establishes that shocks and relativistic particle acceleration are key features of these events. These shocks are likely to be radiative due to the high densities of the nova ejecta at early times coincident with the gamma-ray emission. Thermal X-rays radiated behind the shock are absorbed by neutral gas and reprocessed into optical emission, similar to Type IIn (interacting) supernovae. The ratio of gamma-ray and optical luminosities, L_gam/L_opt, thus sets a lower limit on the fraction of the shock power used to accelerate relativistic particles, e_nth. The measured values of L_gam/L_opt for two classical novae, V1324 Sco and V339 Del, constrains e_nth > 1e-2 and > 1e-3, respectively. Inverse Compton models for the gamma-ray emission are disfavored given the low electron acceleration efficiency, e_nth ~ 1e-4-1e-3, inferred from observations of Galactic cosmic rays and particle-in-cell (PIC) numerical simulations. Recent hybrid PIC simulations show yet lower proton acceleration efficiencies (consistent with zero) for shocks propagating perpendicular to the upstream magnetic field, the geometry relevant if the magnetic field in the nova outflow is dominated by its azimuthal component. However, localized regions of parallel shocks, created either by global asymmetries or local inhomogeneities ("clumpiness") in the ejecta, may account for the requisite proton acceleration. A fraction > 100(0.01/e_nth) and > 10(0.01/e_nth) per cent of the optical luminosity is powered by shocks in V1324 Sco and V339 Del, respectively. Such high fractions challenge standard models that instead attribute all nova optical emission to the direct outwards transport of thermal energy released near the white dwarf surface.

MHD flows at astropauses and in astrotails

The geometrical shapes and the physical properties of stellar wind — interstellar medium interaction regions form an important stage for studying stellar winds and their embedded magnetic fields as well as cosmic ray modulation. Our goal is to provide a proper representation and classification of counter-flow configurations and counter-flow interfaces in the frame of fluid theory. In addition we calculate flows and large-scale electromagnetic fields based on which the large-scale dynamics and its role as possible background for particle acceleration, e.g. in the form of anomalous cosmic rays, can be studied. We find that for the definition of the boundaries, which are determining the astropause shape, the number and location of magnetic null points and stagnation points is essential. Multiple separatrices can exist, forming a highly complex environment for the interstellar and stellar plasma. Furthermore, the formation of extended tail structures occur naturally, and their stretched field and streamlines provide surroundings and mechanisms for the acceleration of particles by field-aligned electric fields.

Non-perturbative aspects of particle acceleration in non-linear electrodynamics [Replacement]

We undertake an investigation of particle acceleration in the context of non-linear electrodynamics. We deduce the maximum energy that an electron can gain in a non-linear density wave in a magnetised plasma, and we show that an electron can surf’ a sufficiently intense Born-Infeld electromagnetic plane wave and be strongly accelerated by the wave. The first result is valid for a large class of physically reasonable modifications of the linear Maxwell equations, whilst the second result exploits the special mathematical structure of Born-Infeld theory.

Non-perturbative aspects of particle acceleration in non-linear electrodynamics

We undertake an investigation of particle acceleration in the context of non-linear electrodynamics. We deduce the maximum energy that an electron can gain in a non-linear density wave in a magnetised plasma, and we show that an electron can surf’ a sufficiently intense Born-Infeld electromagnetic plane wave and be strongly accelerated by the wave. The first result is valid for a large class of physically reasonable modifications of the linear Maxwell equations, whilst the second result exploits the special mathematical structure of Born-Infeld theory.

The Flow Around a Cosmic String, Part I: Hydrodynamic Solution

Cosmic strings are linear topological defects which are hypothesized to be produced during inflation. Most searches for strings have been relying on the string’s lensing of background galaxies or CMB. In this paper I obtained the solution for the supersonic flow of the collisional gas past the cosmic string which has two planar shocks with shock compression ratio that depend on the angle defect of the string and its speed. The shocks result in compression and heating of the gas and, given favorable condition, particle acceleration. The gas heating and overdensity in an unusual wedge shape can be detected by observing HI line at high redshifts. The particle acceleration can occur in present-day Universe when the string crosses the hot gas contained in galaxy clusters and, since the consequences of such collision persist for cosmological timescales, could be located by looking at the unusual large-scale radio sources situated on a single spatial plane.

Particle Acceleration In Plasmoid Ejections Derived From Radio Drifting Pulsating Structures

We report observations of slowly drifting pulsating structures (DPS) in the 0.8-4.5 GHz frequency range of the RT4 and RT5 radio spectrographs at Ondrejov observatory, between 2002 and 2012. We found 106 events of drifting pulsating structures, which we classified into 4 cases: (I) single events with a constant frequency drift [12 events], (II) multiple events occurring in the same flare with constant frequency drifts [11 events], (III) single or multiple events with increasing or decreasing frequency drift rates [52 events], and (IV) complex events containing multiple events occurring at the same time in the different frequency range [31 events]. Many DPSs are associated with hard X-ray bursts (15-25 keV) and soft X-ray gradient peaks, as they typically occurred at the beginning of the hard X-ray peaks. This indicates that DPS events are related to the processes of fast energy release and particle acceleration. Furthermore, interpreting DPSs as signatures of plasmoids, we measured their ejection velocity, their width and their height from the DPS spectra, from which we also estimated the reconnection rate and the plasma beta. In this interpretation, constant frequency drift indicates a constant velocity of a plasmoid, and an increasing/decreasing frequency drift indicates a deceleration/acceleration of a plasmoid ejection. The reconnection rate shows a good positive correlation with the plasmoid velocity. Finally we confirmed that some DPS events show plasmoid counterparts in AIA/SDO images.

Radiation from Particles Accelerated in Relativistic Jet Shocks and Shear-flows

We have investigated particle acceleration and emission from shocks and shear flows associated with an unmagnetized relativistic jet plasma propagating into an unmagnetized ambient plasma. Strong electro-magnetic fields are generated in the jet shock via the filamentation (Weibel) instability. Shock field strength and structure depend on plasma composition (($e^{\pm}$ or $e^-$- $p^+$ plasmas) and Lorentz factor. In the velocity shear between jet and ambient plasmas, strong AC ($e^{\pm}$ plasmas) or DC ($e^-$- $p^+$ plasmas) magnetic fields are generated via the kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (kKHI), and the magnetic field structure also depends on the jet Lorentz factor. We have calculated, self-consistently, the radiation from electrons accelerated in shock generated magnetic fields. The spectra depend on the jet’s initial Lorentz factor and temperature via the resulting particle acceleration and magnetic field generation. Our ongoing "Global" jet simulations containing shocks and velocity shears will provide us with the ability to calculate and model the complex time evolution and/or spectral structure observed from gamma-ray bursts, AGN jets, and supernova remnants.

Diffuse radio emission in the complex merging galaxy cluster Abell 2069

Galaxy clusters with signs for a recent merger show in many cases extended diffuse radio features. This emission originates from relativistic electrons which suffer synchrotron losses due to the intra-cluster magnetic field. The mechanisms of the particle acceleration and the properties of the magnetic field are still poorly understood. We search for diffuse radio emission in galaxy clusters. Here, we study the complex galaxy cluster Abell 2069, for which X-ray observations indicate a recent merger. We investigate the cluster’s radio continuum emission by deep Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) observations at 346 MHz and a Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observation at 322 MHz. We find an extended diffuse radio feature roughly coinciding with the main component of the cluster. We classify this emission as a radio halo and estimate its lower limit flux density to 25 +/- 9 mJy. Moreover, we find a second extended diffuse source located at the cluster’s companion and estimate its flux density to 15 +/- 2 mJy. We speculate that this is a small halo or a mini-halo. If true, this cluster is the first example of a double-halo in a single galaxy cluster.

Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales

Supermassive black holes with masses of millions to billions of solar masses are commonly found in the centers of galaxies. Astronomers seek to image jet formation using radio interferometry, but still suffer from insufficient angular resolution. An alternative method to resolve small structures is to measure the time variability of their emission. Here, we report on gamma-ray observations of the radio galaxy IC 310 obtained with the MAGIC telescopes revealing variability with doubling time scales faster than 4.8 min. Causality constrains the size of the emission region to be smaller than 20\% of the gravitational radius of its central black hole. We suggest that the emission is associated with pulsar-like particle acceleration by the electric field across a magnetospheric gap at the base of the radio jet.

Extragalactic circuits, transmission lines, and CR particle acceleration

A non-negligible fraction of a Supermassive Black Hole’s (SMBH) rest mass energy gets transported into extragalactic space by a remarkable process in jets which are incompletely understood. What are the physical processes which transport this energy? It is likely that the energy flows electromagnetically, rather than via a particle beam flux. The deduced electromagnetic fields may produce particles of energy as high as $\sim 10^{20}$ eV. The energetics of SMBH accretion disk models and the electromagnetic energy transfer imply that a SMBH should generate a $10^{18} – 10^{19}$ Amp\eres current close to the black hole and its accretion disk. We describe the so far best observation-based estimate of the magnitude of the current flow along the axis of the jet extending from the nucleus of the active galaxy in 3C303. The current is measured to be $I \sim 10^{18}$ Amp\eres at $\sim 40$ kpc away from the AGN. This indicates that organized current flow remains intact over multi-kpc distances. The electric current $I$ transports electromagnetic power into free space, $P = I^{2}Z$, where $Z \sim 30$ Ohms is related to the impedance of free space, and this points to the existence of cosmic electric circuit. The associated electric potential drop, $V=IZ$, is of the order of that required to generate Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR). We describe the analogy of electromagnetically dominated jets with transmission lines. High powered jets {\it in vacuo} can be understood by approximate analogy with a waveguide. The importance of inductance, impedance, and other laboratory electrical concepts are discussed in this context. To appear in Proc. 18th International Symposium on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray Interactions (ISVHECR2014), CERN, Switzerland

Relativistic magnetic reconnection in pair plasmas and its astrophysical applications

This review discusses the physics of magnetic reconnection, a process in which the magnetic field topology changes and magnetic energy is converted to kinetic energy, in pair plasmas in the relativistic regime. We focus on recent progress in the field driven by theory advances and the maturity of particle-in-cell codes. This work shows that fragmentation instabilities at the current sheet can play a critical role in setting the reconnection speed and affect the resulting particle acceleration, anisotropy, bulk flows, and radiation. Then, we discuss how this novel understanding of relativistic reconnection can be applied to high-energy astrophysical phenomena, with an emphasis on pulsars, pulsar wind nebulae, and active galactic nucleus jets.

ASTRO-H White Paper - Shock and Acceleration

We discuss the prospects for a progress to be brought by ASTRO-H in the understanding of the physics of particle acceleration in astrophysical environments. Particular emphasis will be put on the synergy with gamma-ray astronomy, in the context of the rapid developments of recent years. Selected topics include: shock acceleration in supernova remnants (SNRs) and in clusters of galaxies, and the extreme particle acceleration seen in gamma-ray binaries. Since the hydrodynamics and thermal properties of shocks in these objects are covered in other white papers, we focus on the aspects related to the process of particle acceleration. In the case of SNRs, we emphasize the importance of SXS and HXI observations of the X-ray emission of young SNRs dominated by synchrotron radiation, particularly SNR RX J1713.7-3946. We argue that the HXI observations of young SNRs, as a byproduct of SXS observations dedicated for studies of the shock dynamics and nucleosynthesis, will provide powerful constraints on shock acceleration theories. Also, we discuss gamma-ray binary systems, where extreme particle acceleration is inferred regardless of the nature (a neutron star or a black hole) of the compact object. Finally, for galaxy clusters, we propose searches for hard X-ray emission of secondary electrons from interactions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays accelerated at accretion shocks. This should allow us to understand the contribution of galaxy clusters to the flux of cosmic rays above 10^18 eV.

ASTRO-H White Paper - Young Supernova Remnants

Thanks to the unprecedented spectral resolution and sensitivity of the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) to soft thermal X-ray emission, ASTRO-H will open a new discovery window for understanding young, ejecta-dominated, supernova remnants (SNRs). In particular we study how ASTRO-H observations will address, comprehensively, three key topics in SNR research: (1) using abundance measurements to unveil SNR progenitors, (2) using spatial and velocity distribution of the ejecta to understand supernova explosion mechanisms, (3) revealing the link between the thermal plasma state of SNRs and the efficiency of their particle acceleration.

Magnetohydrodynamic-Particle-in-Cell Method for Coupling Cosmic Rays with a Thermal Plasma: Application to Non-relativistic Shocks

We formulate a magnetohydrodynamic-particle-in-cell (MHD-PIC) method for describing the interaction between collisionless cosmic ray (CR) particles and a thermal plasma. The thermal plasma is treated as a fluid, obeying equations of ideal MHD, while CRs are treated as relativistic Lagrangian particles subject to the Lorentz force. Backreaction from CRs to the gas is included in the form of momentum and energy feedback. In addition, we include the electromagnetic feedback due to CR-induced Hall effect that becomes important when the electron-ion drift velocity of the background plasma induced by CRs approaches the Alfv\’en velocity. Our method is applicable on scales much larger than the ion inertial length, bypassing the microscopic scales that must be resolved in conventional PIC methods, while retaining the full kinetic nature of the CRs. We have implemented and tested this method in the Athena MHD code, where the overall scheme is second-order accurate and fully conservative. As a first application, we describe a numerical experiment to study particle acceleration in non-relativistic shocks. Using a simplified prescription for ion injection, we reproduce the shock structure and the CR energy spectra obtained with more self-consistent hybrid-PIC simulations, but at substantially reduced computational cost. We also show that the CR-induced Hall effect reduces the growth rate of the Bell’s instability and affects the gas dynamics in the vicinity of the shock front. As a step forward, we are able to capture the transition of particle acceleration from non-relativistic to relativistic regimes, with momentum spectrum f(p) p^(-4) connecting smoothly through the transition, as expected from the theory of Fermi acceleration.

Properties of chromospheric evaporation and plasma dynamics of a solar flare from IRIS observations [Replacement]

Dynamics of hot chromospheric plasma of solar flares is a key to understanding of mechanisms of flare energy release and particle acceleration. A moderate M1.0 class flare of 12 June, 2014 (SOL2014-06-12T21:12) was simultaneously observed by NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), other spacecraft, and also by New Solar Telescope (NST) at the BBSO. This paper presents the first part of our investigation focused on analysis of the IRIS data. Our analysis of the IRIS data in different spectral lines reveals strong redshifted jet-like flow with the speed of ~100 km/s of the chromospheric material before the flare. Strong nonthermal emission of the C II k 1334.5 A line, formed in the chromosphere-corona transition region, is observed at the beginning of the impulsive phase in several small (with a size of ~1 arcsec) points. It is also found that the C II k line is redshifted across the flaring region before, during and after the impulsive phase. A peak of integrated emission of the hot (1.1 MK) plasma in the Fe XXI 1354.1 A line is detected approximately 5 minutes after the integrated emission peak of the lower temperature C II k. A strong blueshift of the Fe XXI line across the flaring region corresponds to evaporation flows of the hot chromospheric plasma with a speed of 50 km/s. Additional analysis of the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) data supports the idea that the upper chromospheric dynamics observed by IRIS has features of "gentle" evaporation driven by heating of the solar chromosphere by accelerated electrons and by a heat flux from the flare energy release site.

The radio signal from extensive air showers

The field of ultra-high energy cosmic rays made a lot of progresses last years with large area experiments such as the Pierre Auger Observatory, HiRes and the Telescope Array. A suppression of the cosmic ray flux at energies above $5.5×10^{19}$ eV is observed at a very high level of significance but the origin of this cut-off is not established: it can be due to the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin suppression but it can also reflect the upper limit of particle acceleration in astrophysical objects. The key characteristics to be measured on cosmic rays is their composition. Upper limits are set above $10^{18}$ eV on primary photons and neutrinos and primary cosmic rays are expected to be hadrons. Identifying the precise composition (light or heavy nuclei) will permit to solve the puzzle. It has been proven that the radio signal emitted by the extensive air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays reflects their longitudinal profile and can help in constraining the primary particle. We review in this paper the emission mechanisms as a function of the frequency of the electric field.

Particle diffusion and localized acceleration in inhomogeneous AGN jets - Part I: Steady-state spectra

We study the acceleration, transport, and emission of particles in relativistic jets. Localized stochastic particle acceleration, spatial diffusion, and synchrotron as well as synchrotron self-Compton emission are considered in a leptonic model. To account for inhomogeneity, we use a 2D axi-symmetric cylindrical geometry for both relativistic electrons and magnetic field. In this first phase of our work, we focus on steady-state spectra that develop from a time-dependent model. We demonstrate that small isolated acceleration region in a much larger emission volume are sufficient to accelerate particles to high energy. Diffusive escape from these small regions provides a natural explanation for the spectral form of the jet emission. The location of the acceleration regions within the jet is found to affect the cooling break of the spectrum in this diffusive model. Diffusion-caused energy-dependent inhomogeneity in the jets predicts that the SSC spectrum is harder than the synchrotron spectrum. There can also be a spectral hardening towards the high-energy section of the synchrotron spectrum, if particle escape is relatively slow. These two spectral hardening effects indicate that the jet inhomogeneity might be a natural explanation for the unexpected hard {\gamma}-ray spectra observed in some blazars.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The protons in RIAFs can be accelerated up to $\gtrsim10$~PeV energies, and TeV-PeV neutrinos are generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN is as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Cross-Listing]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The protons in RIAFs can be accelerated up to $\gtrsim10$~PeV energies, and TeV-PeV neutrinos are generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN is as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Cross-Listing]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The protons in RIAFs can be accelerated up to $\gtrsim10$~PeV energies, and TeV-PeV neutrinos are generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN is as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Replacement]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray (CR) emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The RIAF in LLAGN can emit CR protons with $\gtrsim10$ PeV energies and TeV-PeV neutrinos generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN may be as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8} {\rm GeV} {\rm cm}^{-2} {\rm s}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Replacement]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray (CR) emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The RIAF in LLAGN can emit CR protons with $\gtrsim10$ PeV energies and TeV-PeV neutrinos generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN may be as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8} {\rm GeV} {\rm cm}^{-2} {\rm s}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Replacement]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray (CR) emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The RIAF in LLAGN can emit CR protons with $\gtrsim10$~PeV energies and TeV-PeV neutrinos generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN may be as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}{\rm sr}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei [Replacement]

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray (CR) emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The RIAF in LLAGN can emit CR protons with $\gtrsim10$~PeV energies and TeV-PeV neutrinos generated via $pp$ and/or $p\gamma$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN may be as high as $E_\nu^2\Phi_\nu\sim3\times{10}^{-8}~{\rm GeV}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}{\rm sr}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

Gamma-Ray and Hard X-Ray Emission from Pulsar-Aided Supernovae as a Probe of Particle Acceleration in Embryonic Pulsar Wind Nebulae

It has been suggested that some classes of luminous supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are driven by newborn magnetars. Fast-rotating proto-neutron stars have also been of interest as potential sources of gravitational waves (GWs). We show that for a range of rotation periods and magnetic fields, hard X rays and GeV gamma rays provide us with a promising probe of pulsar-aided SNe. It is observationally known that young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in the Milky Way are very efficient lepton accelerators. We argue that, if embryonic PWNe satisfy similar conditions at early stages of SNe (in ~1-10 months after the explosion), external inverse-Compton emission via upscatterings of SN photons is naturally expected in the GeV range as well as broadband synchrotron emission. To fully take into account the Klein-Nishina effect and two-photon annihilation process that are important at early times, we perform detailed calculations including electromagnetic cascades. Our results suggest that hard X-ray telescopes such as NuSTAR can observe such early PWN emission by followup observations in months-to-years. GeV gamma rays may also be detected by Fermi for nearby SNe, which serve as counterparts of these GW sources. Detecting the signals will give us an interesting probe of particle acceleration at early times of PWNe, as well as clues to driving mechanisms of luminous SNe and GRBs. Since the Bethe-Heitler cross section is lower than the Thomson cross section, gamma rays would allow us to study subphotospheric dissipation.

Gamma-Ray and Hard X-Ray Emission from Pulsar-Aided Supernovae as a Probe of Particle Acceleration in Embryonic Pulsar Wind Nebulae [Replacement]

It has been suggested that some classes of luminous supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are driven by newborn magnetars. Fast-rotating proto-neutron stars have also been of interest as potential sources of gravitational waves (GWs). We show that for a range of rotation periods and magnetic fields, hard X rays and GeV gamma rays provide us with a promising probe of pulsar-aided SNe. It is observationally known that young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in the Milky Way are very efficient lepton accelerators. We argue that, if embryonic PWNe satisfy similar conditions at early stages of SNe (in ~1-10 months after the explosion), external inverse-Compton emission via upscatterings of SN photons is naturally expected in the GeV range as well as broadband synchrotron emission. To fully take into account the Klein-Nishina effect and two-photon annihilation process that are important at early times, we perform detailed calculations including electromagnetic cascades. Our results suggest that hard X-ray telescopes such as NuSTAR can observe such early PWN emission by followup observations in months-to-years. GeV gamma rays may also be detected by Fermi for nearby SNe, which serve as counterparts of these GW sources. Detecting the signals will give us an interesting probe of particle acceleration at early times of PWNe, as well as clues to driving mechanisms of luminous SNe and GRBs. Since the Bethe-Heitler cross section is lower than the Thomson cross section, gamma rays would allow us to study subphotospheric dissipation. We encourage searches for high-energy emission from nearby SNe, especially Type Ibc SNe including super-luminous objects.

Time-Variable Linear Polarization as a Probe of the Physical Conditions in the Compact Jets of Blazars

A single measurement of linear polarization of a nonthermal source provides direct information about the mean direction and level of ordering of the magnetic field. Monitoring of the polarization in blazars, combined with millimeter-wave VLBI imaging in both total and polarized intensity, has the potential to determine the geometry of the magnetic field. This is a key probe of the physical processes in the relativistic jet, such as ordered field components, turbulence, magnetic reconnections, magnetic collimation and acceleration of the jet flow, particle acceleration, and radiative processes that produce extremely luminous, highly variable nonthermal emission. Well-sampled monitoring observations of multi-waveband flux and radio-optical polarization of blazars show a variety of behavior. In some cases, the observed polarization patterns appear systematic, while in others randomness dominates. Explanations involve helical magnetic fields, turbulence, and perhaps particle acceleration that depends on the angle between the magnetic field and shock fronts that might be present. Simulations from the author’s TEMZ model, with turbulent plasma crossing a standing conical shock in the jet, show that a mixture of turbulent and toroidal magnetic field can produce the level of polarization variability that is observed, even when the two field components are roughly equal.

Particle acceleration at a reconnecting magnetic separator [Replacement]

While the exact acceleration mechanism of energetic particles during solar flares is (as yet) unknown, magnetic reconnection plays a key role both in the release of stored magnetic energy of the solar corona and the magnetic restructuring during a flare. Recent work has shown that special field lines, called separators, are common sites of reconnection in 3D numerical experiments. To date, 3D separator reconnection sites have received little attention as particle accelerators. We investigate the effectiveness of separator reconnection as a particle acceleration mechanism for electrons and protons. We study the particle acceleration using a relativistic guiding-centre particle code in a time-dependent kinematic model of magnetic reconnection at a separator. The effect upon particle behaviour of initial position, pitch angle and initial kinetic energy are examined in detail, both for specific (single) particle examples and for large distributions of initial conditions. The separator reconnection model contains several free parameters and we study the effect of changing these parameters upon particle acceleration, in particular in view of the final particle energy ranges which agree with observed energy spectra.