Particle acceleration by multiple parallel shocks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how particles are accelerated in multiple parallel shocks using numerical and semi-analytical methods, with implications for astrophysical jets like AGN and microquasars.

Contribution

It introduces combined kinetic Monte Carlo and eigenfunction expansion techniques to analyze particle acceleration in multiple shocks across a range of shock speeds.

Findings

Particle distributions are computed for various shock speeds.

Anisotropy levels at shocks are characterized.

Implications for jet emissions are discussed.

Abstract

We present both numerical and semi-analytical results on test-particle acceleration in multiple parallel shocks. We apply a kinetic Monte Carlo code and an eigenfunction expansion method to calculate the distribution functions for electron populations accelerated in subsequent parallel shocks with speeds ranging from non- to fully-relativistic. We examine the levels of particle anisotropy at the shocks and discuss the implications for AGN and microquasar jets.