Self Organized Criticality in an one dimensional magnetized grid. Application to GRB X-ray afterglows

TL;DR

This paper models a one-dimensional magnetized plasma flow using cellular automata to investigate the emergence of Self-Organized Criticality and explores its potential relevance to Gamma-Ray Burst X-ray afterglows.

Contribution

It introduces a novel one-dimensional cellular automaton model with background flow to study Self-Organized Criticality in magnetized plasma flows.

Findings

Self-Organized Criticality is demonstrated in the model.

The model's results suggest potential applications to GRB X-ray afterglow analysis.

Explicit superposition of background flow is a new feature in the model.

Abstract

A simplified one dimensional grid is used to model the evolution of magnetized plasma flow. We implement diffusion laws similar to those so-far used to model magnetic reconnection with Cellular Automata. As a novelty, we also explicitly superimpose a background flow. The aim is to numerically investigate the possibility that Self-Organized Criticality appears in a one dimensional magnetized flow. The cellular automaton's cells store information about the parameter relevant to the evolution of the system being modelled. Under the assumption that this parameter stands for the magnetic field, the magnetic energy released by one volume during one individual relaxation event is also computed. Our results show that indeed in this system Self-Organized Criticality is established. The possible applications of this model to the study of the X-ray afterglows of GRBs is also briefly considered.