Particle acceleration, magnetization and radiation in relativistic shocks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel model for relativistic collisionless shocks that incorporates non-local photon-mediated energy transfer, explaining magnetic field persistence and particle acceleration, with applications to gamma-ray burst observations.

Contribution

The model uniquely accounts for magnetic field build-up and particle acceleration via photon transport, providing a comprehensive framework for shock structure and emission in high-energy astrophysics.

Findings

Explains magnetic field persistence at large distances from shock front.

Predicts multiple emission zones with distinct spectral properties.

Matches gamma-ray burst shock observations with model predictions.

Abstract

What are the mechanisms of particle acceleration and radiation, as well as magnetic field build up and decay in relativistic shocks are open questions with important implications to various phenomena in high energy astrophysics. While the Weibel instability is possibly responsible for magnetic field build up and diffusive shock acceleration is a model for acceleration, both have problems and current PIC simulation show that particles are accelerated only under special conditions and the magnetic field decays on a short length scale. We present here a novel model for the structure and the emission of highly relativistic collisionless shocks. The model takes into account (and is based on) non-local energy and momentum transport across the shock front via emission and absorption of high-energy photons. This leads to a pre-acceleration of the fluid and pre-amplificaiton of the magnetic fields in the upstream region. Both have drastic implications on the shock structure. The model explains the persistence of the shock generated magnetic field at large distances from the shock front. The dissipation of this magnetic field results in a continuous particle acceleration within the downstream region. The model suggests two non-uniform emission zones (the downstream and the upstream), that give rise to three emission components with different spectral and temporal properties. A unique feature of the model is the existence of an "attractor", toward which any shock will evolve. This enables us to estimate from first principles the synchrotron and inverse Compton spectrum of the downstream emission. The model is applicable to any relativistic shock, but its distinctive features show up only for large compactness. We demonstrate that prompt and afterglow Gamma-Ray Bursts' shocks satisfy the relevant conditions and compare their observations with the predictions.