Shock acceleration is a ubiquitous phenomenon in astrophysical plasmas.
Plasma waves and their associated instabilities (e.g., Buneman, Weibel and
other two-stream instabilities) created in collisionless shocks are responsible
for particle (electron, positron, and ion) acceleration. Using a 3-D
relativistic electromagnetic particle (REMP) code, we have investigated
particle acceleration associated with a relativistic jet front propagating into
an ambient plasma. We find that the growth times of Weibel instability are
proportional to the Lorentz factors of jets. Simulations show that the Weibel
instability created in the collisionless shock front accelerates jet and
ambient particles both perpendicular and parallel to the jet propagation
direction.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Il nuovo cimento (4th Workshop
Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Era, Rome, 18-22 October 2004