Current-driven filamentation upstream of magnetized relativistic collisionless shocks

The physics of instabilities in the precursor of relativistic collisionless shocks is of broad importance in high energy astrophysics, because these instabilities build up the shock, control the particle acceleration process and generate the magnetic fields in which the accelerated particles radiate. Two crucial parameters control the micro-physics of these shocks: the magnetization of the ambient medium and the Lorentz factor of the shock front; as of today, much of this parameter space remains to be explored. In the present paper, we report on a new instability upstream of electron-positron relativistic shocks and we argue that this instability shapes the micro-physics at moderate magnetization levels and/or large Lorentz factors. This instability is seeded by the electric current carried by the accelerated particles in the shock precursor as they gyrate around the background magnetic field. The compensation current induced in the background plasma leads to an unstable configuration, with the appearance of charge neutral filaments carrying a current of the same polarity, oriented along the perpendicular current. This ``current-driven filamentation'' instability grows faster than any other instability studied so far upstream of relativistic shocks, with a growth rate comparable to the plasma frequency. Furthermore, the compensation of the current is associated with a slow-down of the ambient plasma as it penetrates the shock precursor (as viewed in the shock rest frame). This slow-down of the plasma implies that the ``current driven filamentation'' instability can grow for any value of the shock Lorentz factor, provided the magnetization \sigma <~ 10^{-2}. We argue that this instability explains the results of recent particle-in-cell simulations in the mildly magnetized regime.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures; to appear in MNRA

Particle Transport in intense small scale magnetic turbulence with a mean field

Various astrophysical studies have motivated the investigation of the transport of high energy particles in magnetic turbulence, either in the source or en route to the observation sites. For strong turbulence and large rigidity, the pitch-angle scattering rate is governed by a simple law involving a mean free path that increases proportionally to the square of the particle energy. In this paper, we show that perpendicular diffusion deviates from this behavior in the presence of a mean field. We propose an exact theoretical derivation of the diffusion coefficients and show that a mean field significantly changes the transverse diffusion even in the presence of a stronger turbulent field. In particular, the transverse diffusion coefficient is shown to reach a finite value at large rigidity instead of increasing proportionally to the square of the particle energy. Our theoretical derivation is corroborated by a dedicated Monte Carlo simulation. We briefly discuss several possible applications in astrophysics.Comment: (9 pages, 6 figures, revised version with minor changes

A critical approach to the concept of a polar, low-altitude LARES satellite

According to very recent developments of the LARES mission, which would be devoted to the measurement of the general relativistic Lense--Thirring effect in the gravitational field of the Earth with Satellite Laser Ranging, it seems that the LARES satellite might be finally launched in a polar, low--altitude orbit by means of a relatively low--cost rocket. The observable would be the node only. In this letter we critically analyze this scenario.Comment: LaTex2e, 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Is it possible to test directly General Relativity in the gravitational field of the Moon?

In this paper the possibility of measuring some general relativistic effects in the gravitational field of the Moon via selenodetic missions, with particular emphasis to the future Japanese SELENE mission, is investigated. For a typical selenodetic orbital configuration the post-Newtonian Lense-Thirring gravitomagnetic and the Einstein's gravitoelectric effects on the satellites orbits are calculated and compared to the present-day orbit accuracy of lunar missions. It turns out that for SELENE's Main Orbiter, at present, the gravitoelectric periselenium shift, which is the largest general relativistic effect, is 1 or 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the experimental sensitivity. The systematic error induced by the mismodelled classical periselenium precession due to the first even zonal harmonic J2 of the Moon's non-spherical gravitational potential is 3 orders of magnitude larger than the general relativistic gravitoelectric precession. The estimates of this work could be used for future lunar missions having as their goals relativistic measurements as well.Comment: Latex2e, 7 pages, no figures, ets2000.cls and art12.sty used. Major rewriting in introduction. References adde

FGF-1 and FGF-2 modulate the E-cadherin/catenin system in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) have been increasingly recognized to play an important role in the pathobiology of pancreatic malignancy. We have investigated the effects of FGF-1 and FGF-2 on the behaviour and adhesion properties of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines (BxPc3, T3M4 and HPAF) that were previously characterised for the expression of FGFRs. Here we show that exposure to FGF-1 and FGF-2 leads to significant and dose-dependent increase in E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion, tubular differentiation, and a reduced capacity to invade collagen gels. FGF stimulation produces phosphorylation of E-cadherin and β-catenin on tyrosine residues, as well as increased E-cadherin localisation to the cytoplasmic membrane and association with FGFR1 demonstrable by coimmunoprecipitation. These results demonstrate that FGF-1 and FGF-2 may be involved in the regulation of cell adhesion, differentiation and invasion of pancreatic cancer. © Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Extra-galactic magnetic fields and the second knee in the cosmic-ray spectrum

Recent work suggests that the cosmic ray spectrum may be dominated by Galactic sources up to ~10^{17.5} eV, and by an extra-Galactic component beyond, provided this latter cuts off below the transition energy. Here it is shown that this cut-off could be interpreted in this framework as a signature of extra-galactic magnetic fields with equivalent average strength B and coherence length l_c such that B\sqrt{l_c} ~ 2-3.10^{-10} G.Mpc^{1/2}, assuming l_c < r_L (Larmor radius at 10^{17} eV) and continuously emitting sources with density 10^{-5}/Mpc^3. The extra-Galactic flux is suppressed below 10^{17} eV as the diffusive propagation time from the source to the detector becomes larger than the age of the Universe.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; expanded version to appear in Phys.Rev.

LAGEOS-type Satellites in Critical Supplementary Orbit Configuration and the Lense-Thirring Effect Detection

In this paper we analyze quantitatively the concept of LAGEOS--type satellites in critical supplementary orbit configuration (CSOC) which has proven capable of yielding various observables for many tests of General Relativity in the terrestrial gravitational field, with particular emphasis on the measurement of the Lense--Thirring effect.Comment: LaTex2e, 20 pages, 7 Tables, 6 Figures. Changes in Introduction, Conclusions, reference added, accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit