Electrostatic Potentials in Supernova Remnant Shocks |
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| Authors: | Matthew G Baring Errol J Summerlin |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Physics and Astronomy MS-108, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX, 77251, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Recent advances in the understanding of the properties of supernova remnant shocks have been precipitated by theChandra and XMM X-ray Observatories, and the HESS Atmospheric Čerenkov Telescope in the TeV band. A critical problem for this field
is the understanding of the relative degree of dissipative heating/energization of electrons and ions in the shock layer.
This impacts the interpretation of X-ray observations, and moreover influences the efficiency of injection into the acceleration
process, which in turn feeds back into the thermal shock layer energetics and dynamics. This paper outlines the first stages
of our exploration of the role of charge separation potentials in non-relativistic electron-ion shocks where the inertial
gyro-scales are widely disparate, using results from a Monte Carlo simulation. Charge density spatial profiles were obtained
in the linear regime, sampling the inertial scales for both ions and electrons, for different magnetic field obliquities.
These were readily integrated to acquire electric field profiles in the absence of self-consistent, spatial readjustments
between the electrons and the ions. It was found that while diffusion plays little role in modulating the linear field structure
in highly oblique and perpendicular shocks, in quasi-parallel shocks, where charge separations induced by gyrations are small,
and shock-layer electric fields are predominantly generated on diffusive scales. |
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| Keywords: | Shock acceleration Cosmic rays Supernova remnants Electrostatics |
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