# Physics of Weibel-mediated relativistic collisionless shocks

## TL;DR

This paper presents a detailed theoretical model of relativistic collisionless shocks mediated by the Weibel instability, explaining plasma deceleration and heating, and validated by PIC simulations.

## Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework for Weibel-mediated shocks, including a novel characterization of the noninertial frame and microscopic plasma interactions.

## Key findings

- Model agrees with large-scale PIC simulations
- Characterizes the magnetic nature of the instability
- Describes plasma deceleration and heating mechanisms

## Abstract

We develop a comprehensive theoretical model of relativistic collisionless pair shocks mediated by the current filamentation instability. We notably characterize the noninertial frame in which this instability is of a mostly magnetic nature, and describe at a microscopic level the deceleration and heating of the incoming background plasma through its collisionless interaction with the electromagnetic turbulence. Our model compares well to large-scale 2D3V PIC simulations, and provides an important touchstone for the phenomenology of such plasma systems.