Non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions due to self-generated turbulence in collisionless guide-field reconnection

Non-Maxwellian electron velocity space distribution functions (EVDF) are useful signatures of plasma conditions and non-local consequences of collisionless magnetic reconnection. In the past, EVDFs were obtained mainly for antiparallel reconnection and under the influence of weak guide-fields in the direction perpendicular to the reconnection plane. EVDFs are, however, not well known, yet, for oblique (or component-) reconnection in dependence on stronger guide-magnetic fields and for the exhaust (outflow) region of reconnection away from the diffusion region. In view of the multi-spacecraft Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS), we derived the non-Maxwellian EVDFs of collisionless magnetic reconnection in dependence on the guide-field strength $b_g$ from small ($b_g\approx0$) to very strong ($b_g=8$) guide-fields, taking into account the feedback of the self-generated turbulence. For this sake, we carried out 2.5D fully-kinetic Particle-in-Cell simulations using the ACRONYM code. We obtained anisotropic EVDFs and electron beams propagating along the separatrices as well as in the exhaust region of reconnection. The beams are anisotropic with a higher temperature in the direction perpendicular rather than parallel to the local magnetic field. The beams propagate in the direction opposite to the background electrons and cause instabilities. We also obtained the guide-field dependence of the relative electron-beam drift speed, threshold and properties of the resulting streaming instabilities including the strongly non-linear saturation of the self-generated plasma turbulence. This turbulence and its non-linear feedback cause non-adiabatic parallel electron acceleration and EVDFs well beyond the limits of the quasi-linear approximation, producing phase space holes and an isotropizing pitch-angle scattering.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures. Revised to match with the version published in Physics of Plasmas. An abridged version of the abstract is shown her

A theory of local and global processes which affect solar wind electrons. 2: Experimental support

The microscopic characteristics of the Coulomb cross section show that there are three natural subpopulations for plasma electrons: the subthermals with local kinetic energy E kT sub c; the transthermals with kT sub c E 7 kT sub c and the extrathermals E 7 kT sub c. Data from three experimental groups on three different spacecraft in the interplanetary medium over a radial range are presented to support the five interrelations projected between solar wind electron properties and changes in the interplanetary medium: (1) subthermals respond primarily to local changes (compression and rarefactions) in stream dynamics; (2) the extrathermal fraction of the ambient electron density should be anti-correlated with the asymptotic bulk speed; (3) the extrathermal "temperature" should be anti-correlated with the local wind speed at 1 AU; (4) the heat flux carried by electrons should be anti-correlated with the local bulk speed; and (5) the extrathermal differential 'temperature' should be nearly independent of radius within 1 AU

Formation of Relativistic Outflows in Shearing Black Hole Accretion Coronae

We examine the possibility that the relativistic jets observed in many active galactic nuclei may be powered by the Fermi acceleration of protons in a tenuous corona above a two-temperature accretion disk. In this picture the acceleration arises as a consequence of the shearing motion of the magnetic field in the corona, which is anchored in the underlying Keplerian disk. The protons in the corona have a power-law distribution because the density there is too low for proton-proton collisions to thermalize the energy supplied via Fermi acceleration. The same shear acceleration mechanism also operates in the disk itself, however, there the density is high enough for thermalization to occur and consequently the disk protons have a Maxwellian distribution. Particle acceleration in the corona leads to the development of a pressure-driven wind that passes through a critical point and subsequently transforms into a relativistic jet at large distances from the black hole. We combine the critical conditions for the wind with the structure equations for the disk and the corona to obtain a coupled disk/corona/wind model. Using the coupled model we compute the asymptotic Lorentz factor $\Gamma_\infty$ of the jet as a function of the cylindrical starting radius at the base of the outflow, in the corona. Our results suggest that \Gamma_\infty \lapprox 10, which is consistent with observations of superluminal motion in blazars. We show that collisions between the jet and broad-line emission clouds can produce high-energy radiation with a luminosity sufficient to power the $\gamma$-rays observed from blazars. Subject headings: radiation mechanisms: non-thermal, accretion, accretion disks, acceleration of particles, gamma rays: theoryComment: 50 pages, 13 figures, accepted by ApJ, 199

Electron acceleration by cascading reconnection in the solar corona I Magnetic gradient and curvature effects

Aims: We investigate the electron acceleration in convective electric fields of cascading magnetic reconnection in a flaring solar corona and show the resulting hard X-ray (HXR) radiation spectra caused by Bremsstrahlung for the coronal source. Methods: We perform test particle calculation of electron motions in the framework of a guiding center approximation. The electromagnetic fields and their derivatives along electron trajectories are obtained by linearly interpolating the results of high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) MHD simulations of cascading magnetic reconnection. Hard X-ray (HXR) spectra are calculated using an optically thin Bremsstrahlung model. Results: Magnetic gradients and curvatures in cascading reconnection current sheet accelerate electrons: trapped in magnetic islands, precipitating to the chromosphere and ejected into the interplanetary space. The final location of an electron is determined by its initial position, pitch angle and velocity. These initial conditions also influence electron acceleration efficiency. Most of electrons have enhanced perpendicular energy. Trapped electrons are considered to cause the observed bright spots along coronal mass ejection CME-trailing current sheets as well as the flare loop-top HXR emissions.Comment: submitted to A&

On the unconstrained expansion of a spherical plasma cloud turning collisionless : case of a cloud generated by a nanometer dust grain impact on an uncharged target in space

Nano and micro meter sized dust particles travelling through the heliosphere at several hundreds of km/s have been repeatedly detected by interplanetary spacecraft. When such fast moving dust particles hit a solid target in space, an expanding plasma cloud is formed through the vaporisation and ionisation of the dust particles itself and part of the target material at and near the impact point. Immediately after the impact the small and dense cloud is dominated by collisions and the expansion can be described by fluid equations. However, once the cloud has reached micro-m dimensions, the plasma may turn collisionless and a kinetic description is required to describe the subsequent expansion. In this paper we explore the late and possibly collisionless spherically symmetric unconstrained expansion of a single ionized ion-electron plasma using N-body simulations. Given the strong uncertainties concerning the early hydrodynamic expansion, we assume that at the time of the transition to the collisionless regime the cloud density and temperature are spatially uniform. We do also neglect the role of the ambient plasma. This is a reasonable assumption as long as the cloud density is substantially higher than the ambient plasma density. In the case of clouds generated by fast interplanetary dust grains hitting a solid target some 10^7 electrons and ions are liberated and the in vacuum approximation is acceptable up to meter order cloud dimensions. ..

Baryon Loaded Relativistic Blastwaves in Supernovae

We provide a new analytic blastwave solution which generalizes the Blandford-McKee solution to arbitrary ejecta masses and Lorentz factors. Until recently relativistic supernovae have been discovered only through their association with long duration Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB). The blastwaves of such explosions are well described by the Blandford-McKee (in the ultra relativistic regime) and Sedov-Taylor (in the non-relativistic regime) solutions during their afterglows, as the ejecta mass is negligible in comparison to the swept up mass. The recent discovery of the relativistic supernova SN 2009bb, without a detected GRB, opens up the possibility of highly baryon loaded mildly relativistic outflows which remains in nearly free expansion phase during the radio afterglow. In this work, we consider a massive, relativistic shell, launched by a Central Engine Driven EXplosion (CEDEX), decelerating adiabatically due to its collision with the pre-explosion circumstellar wind profile of the progenitor. We compute the synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in the shock amplified magnetic field. This models the radio emission from the circumstellar interaction of a CEDEX. We show that this model explains the observed radio evolution of the prototypical SN 2009bb and demonstrate that SN 2009bb had a highly baryon loaded, mildly relativistic outflow. We discuss the effect of baryon loading on the dynamics and observational manifestations of a CEDEX. In particular, our predicted angular size of SN 2009bb is consistent with VLBI upper limits on day 85, but is presently resolvable on VLBI angular scales, since the relativistic ejecta is still in the nearly free expansion phase.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Shock Dissipation in Magnetically Dominated Impulsive Flows

We have revisited the issue of shock dissipation and emission and its implications for the internal shock model of the prompt GRB emission and studied it in the context of impulsive Poynting-dominated flows. Our results show that unless the magnetization of GRB jets is extremely high, \sigma > 100 in the prompt emission zone, the magnetic model may still be compatible with the observations. The main effect of reduced dissipation efficiency is merely an increase in the size of the dissipation zone and even for highly magnetised GRB jets this size may remain below the external shock radius, provided the central engine can emit magnetic shells on the time scale well below the typical observed variability scale of one second. Our analytical and numerical results suggest that magnetic shells begin strongly interact with each other well before they reach the coasting radius. As the result, the impulsive jet in the dissipation zone is best described not as a collection of shells but as a continuous highly magnetised flow with a high amplitude magnetosonic wave component. How exactly the dissipated wave energy is distributed between the radiation and the bulk kinetic energy of radial jets depends on the relative rates of radiative and adiabatic cooling. In the fast radiative cooling regime, the corresponding radiative efficiency can be as high as the wave contribution to their energy budget, independently of the magnetization. Moreover, after leaving the zone of prompt emission the jet may still remain Poynting-dominated, leading to weaker emission from the reverse shock compared to non-magnetic models.Comment: Submitted to MNRA