PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

KANG, HYESUNG The Korean Astronomical Society 2015 天文學論叢 Vol.30 No.2

Most high energy cosmic rays (CRs) are thought to be produced by diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in supernova remnants (SNRs) within the Galaxy. Plasma and MHD simulations have shown that the self-excitation of MHD waves and amplification of magnetic fields via plasma instabilities are an integral part of DSA for strong collisionless shocks. In this study we explore how plasma processes such as plasma instabilities and wave-particle interactions can affect the energy spectra of CR protons and electrons, using time-dependent DSA simulations of SNR shocks. We demonstrate that the time-dependent evolution of the shock dynamics, the self-amplified magnetic fields and $Alfv{\acute{e}nic$ drift govern the highest energy end of the CR energy spectra. As a result, the spectral cutoffs in nonthermal X-ray and ${\gamma}$-ray radiation spectra are regulated by the evolution of the highest energy particles, which are injected at the early phase of SNRs. We also find that the maximum energy of CR protons can be boosted significantly only if the scale height of the magnetic field precursor is long enough to contain the diffusion lengths of the particles of interests. Thus, detailed understandings of nonlinear wave-particle interactions and time-dependent DSA simulations are crucial for understanding the nonthermal radiation from CR acceleration sources.

DIFFUSIVE SHOCK ACCELERATION AT COSMOLOGICAL SHOCK WAVES

Kang, Hyesung,Ryu, Dongsu IOP Publishing 2013 The Astrophysical journal Vol.764 No.1

<P>We reexamine nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at cosmological shocks in the large-scale structure of the universe, incorporating wave-particle interactions that are expected to operate in collisionless shocks. Adopting simple phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification (MFA) by cosmic-ray (CR) streaming instabilities and Alfvenic drift, we perform kinetic DSA simulations for a wide range of sonic and Alfvenic Mach numbers and evaluate the CR injection fraction and acceleration efficiency. In our DSA model, the CR acceleration efficiency is determined mainly by the sonic Mach number M-s, while the MFA factor depends on the Alfvenic Mach number and the degree of shock modification by CRs. We show that at strong CR modified shocks, if scattering centers drift with an effective Alfven speed in the amplified magnetic field, the CR energy spectrum is steepened and the acceleration efficiency is reduced significantly, compared to the cases without such effects. As a result, the postshock CR pressure saturates roughly at similar to 20% of the shock ram pressure for strong shocks with M-s greater than or similar to 10. In the test-particle regime (M-s less than or similar to 3), it is expected that the magnetic field is not amplified and the Alfvenic drift effects are insignificant, although relevant plasma physical processes at low Mach number shocks remain largely uncertain.</P>

NONTHERMAL RADIATION FROM COSMIC-RAY MODIFIED SHOCKS

Kang, Hyesung,Edmon, Paul P.,Jones, T. W. IOP Publishing 2012 The Astrophysical journal Vol.745 No.2

<P>We calculate nonthermal radiation from cosmic-ray (CR) protons and electrons accelerated at CR modified plane and spherical shocks, using time-dependent, diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) simulations that include radiative losses of CR electrons. Strong non-relativistic shocks with physical parameters relevant for young supernova remnants (SNRs) are considered in both the plane-parallel and spherically symmetric geometries, and compared at times when their dynamical and CR properties are concordant. A thermal leakage injection model and a Bohm-like diffusion coefficient are adopted. After DSA energy gains balance radiative losses, the electron spectrum at the plane shock approaches a time-asymptotic spectrum with a super-exponential cutoff above the equilibrium momentum. The postshock electron spectrum cuts off at a progressively lower momentum downstream from the shock due to the energy losses. That results in the steepening of the volume integrated electron energy spectrum by one power of the particle energy. These features evolve toward lower energies in the spherical, SNR shocks. In a CR modified shock, pion decay gamma-ray emission reveals distinct signatures of nonlinear DSA due to the concave proton momentum spectrum. Although the electron momentum spectrum has a much weaker concavity, the synchrotron spectral slope at the shock may flatten by about 0.1-0.3 between radio and X-ray bands. The slope of the volume integrated emission spectrum behaves nonlinearly around the break frequency.</P>

CURVED RADIO SPECTRA OF WEAK CLUSTER SHOCKS

Kang, Hyesung,Ryu, Dongsu IOP Publishing 2015 The Astrophysical journal Vol.809 No.2

<P>In order to understand certain observed features of arc-like giant radio relics such as the rareness, uniform surface brightness, and curved integrated spectra, we explore a diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model for radio relics in which a spherical shock impinges on a magnetized cloud containing fossil relativistic electrons. Toward this end, we perform DSA simulations of spherical shocks with the parameters relevant for the Sausage radio relic in cluster CIZA J2242.8+ 5301, and calculate the ensuing radio synchrotron emission from re-accelerated electrons. Three types of fossil electron populations are considered: a delta-function like population with the shock injection momentum, a power-law distribution, and a power law with an exponential cutoff. The surface brightness profile of the radio-emitting postshock region and the volume-integrated radio spectrum are calculated and compared with observations. We find that the observed width of the Sausage relic can be explained reasonably well by shocks with speed u(s) similar to 3 x 10(3) km s(-1) and sonic Mach number M-s similar to 3. These shocks produce curved radio spectra that steepen gradually over (0.1-10)v(br) with a break frequency v(br) similar to 1GHz if the duration of electron acceleration is similar to 60-80 Myr. However, the abrupt increase in the spectral index above similar to 1.5 GHz observed in the Sausage relic seems to indicate that additional physical processes, other than radiative losses, operate for electrons with gamma(e) greater than or similar to 10(4).</P>

DIFFUSIVE SHOCK ACCELERATION SIMULATIONS OF RADIO RELICS

Kang, Hyesung,Ryu, Dongsu,Jones, T. W. IOP Publishing 2012 The Astrophysical journal Vol.756 No.1

<P>Recent radio observations have identified a class of structures, so-called radio relics, in clusters of galaxies. The radio emission from these sources is interpreted as synchrotron radiation from GeV electrons gyrating in mu G-level magnetic fields. Radio relics, located mostly in the outskirts of clusters, seem to associate with shock waves, especially those developed during mergers. In fact, they seem to be good structures to identify and probe such shocks in intracluster media (ICMs), provided we understand the electron acceleration and re-acceleration at those shocks. In this paper, we describe time-dependent simulations for diffusive shock acceleration at weak shocks that are expected to be found in ICMs. Freshly injected as well as pre-existing populations of cosmic-ray (CR) electrons are considered, and energy losses via synchrotron and inverse Compton are included. We then compare the synchrotron flux and spectral distributions estimated from the simulations with those in two well-observed radio relics in CIZA J2242.8+5301 and ZwCl0008.8+5215. Considering that CR electron injection is expected to be rather inefficient at weak shocks with Mach number M less than or similar to a few, the existence of radio relics could indicate the pre-existing population of low-energy CR electrons in ICMs. The implication of our results on the merger shock scenario of radio relics is discussed.</P>

NONTHERMAL RADIATION FROM SUPERNOVA REMNANTS: EFFECTS OF MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION AND PARTICLE ESCAPE

Kang, Hyesung,Jones, T. W.,Edmon, Paul P. IOP Publishing 2013 The Astrophysical journal Vol.777 No.1

<P>We explore nonlinear effects of wave-particle interactions on the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) process in Type Ia-like supernova remnant (SNR) blast waves by implementing phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification (MFA), Alfvenic drift, and particle escape in time-dependent numerical simulations of nonlinear DSA. For typical SNR parameters, the cosmic-ray (CR) protons can be accelerated to PeV energies only if the region of amplified field ahead of the shock is extensive enough to contain the diffusion lengths of the particles of interest. Even with the help of Alfvenic drift, it remains somewhat challenging to construct a nonlinear DSA model for SNRs in which of the order of 10% of the supernova explosion energy is converted into CR energy and the magnetic field is amplified by a factor of 10 or so in the shock precursor, while, at the same time, the energy spectrum of PeV protons is steeper than E-2. To explore the influence of these physical effects on observed SNR emission, we also compute the resulting radio-to-gamma-ray spectra. Nonthermal emission spectra, especially in X-ray and gamma-ray bands, depend on the time-dependent evolution of the CR injection process, MFA, and particle escape, as well as the shock dynamic evolution. This result comes from the fact that the high-energy end of the CR spectrum is composed of particles that are injected in the very early stages of the blast wave evolution. Thus, it is crucial to better understand the plasma wave-particle interactions associated with collisionless shocks in detailed modeling of nonthermal radiation from SNRs.</P>

COSMIC RAY ACCELERATION AT COSMOLOGICAL SHOCKS

KANG HYESUNG,JONES T. W. The Korean Astronomical Society 2004 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.37 No.5

Cosmological shocks form as an inevitable consequence of gravitational collapse during the large scale structure formation and cosmic-rays (CRs) are known to be accelerated at collisionless shocks via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). We have calculated the evolution of CR modified shocks for a wide range of shock Mach numbers and shock speeds through numerical simulations of DSA in 1D quasi-parallel plane shocks. The simulations include thermal leakage injection of seed CRs, as well as pre-existing, upstream CR populations. Bohm-like diffusion is assumed. We show that CR modified shocks evolve to time-asymptotic states by the time injected particles are accelerated to moderately relativistic energies (p/mc $\ge$ 1), and that two shocks with the same Mach number, but with different shock speeds, evolve qualitatively similarly when the results are presented in terms of a characteristic diffusion length and diffusion time. We find that $10^{-4} - 10^{-3}$ of the particles passed through the shock are accelerated to form the CR population, and the injection rate is higher for shocks with higher Mach number. The CR acceleration efficiency increases with shock Mach number, but it asymptotes to ${\~}50\%$ in high Mach number shocks, regardless of the injection rate and upstream CR pressure. On the other hand, in moderate strength shocks ($M_s {\le} 5$), the pre-existing CRs increase the overall CR energy. We conclude that the CR acceleration at cosmological shocks is efficient enough to lead to significant nonlinear modifications to the shock structures.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COSMIC RAY FLUX ABOVE THE ANKLE: CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

KANG HYESUNG,RACHEN JORG P.,BIERMANN PETER L. The Korean Astronomical Society 1996 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.29 No.suppl1

Assuming that particles can be accelerated to high energies via diffusive shock acceleration process at the accretion shocks formed by the infalling flow toward the clusters of galaxies, we have calculated the expected spectrum of high-energy protons from the cosmological ensemble of the cluster accretion shocks. The model with Jokipii diffusion limit could explain the observed cosmic ray spectrum near $10^{19}eV$ with reasonable parameters and models if about $10^{-4}$ of the infalling kinetic energy can be injected into the intergalactic space as the high energy particles.

NUMERICAL STUDIES OF COSMIC RAY ACCELERATION AT COSMIC SHOCKS

KANG HYESUNG The Korean Astronomical Society 2004 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.37 No.4

Shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments and cosmic-rays (CRs) are known to be accelerated at collisionless shocks via diffusive shock acceleration. It is believed that the CR pressure is important in the evolution of the interstellar medium of our galaxy and most of galactic CRs with energies up to ${\~}\;10^{15}$ eV are accelerated by supernova remnant shocks. In this contribution we have studied the CR acceleration at shocks through numerical simulation of 1D, quasi-parallel shocks for a wide range of shock Mach numbers and shock speeds. We show that CR modified shocks evolve to time-asymptotic states by the time injected particles are accelerated to moderately relativistic energies, and that two shocks with the same Mach number, but with different shock speeds, evolve qualitatively similarly when the results are presented in terms of a characteristic diffusion length and diffusion time. We find that $10^{-4} - 10^{-3}$ of the particles passed through the shock are accelerated to form the CR population, and the injection rate is higher for shocks with higher Mach number. The time asymptotic value for the CR acceleration efficiency is controlled mainly by shock Mach number, and high Mach number shocks all evolve towards efficiencies ${\~}50\%$, regardless of the injection rate and upstream CR pressure. We conclude that the injection rates in strong quasi-parallel shocks are sufficient to lead to significant nonlinear modifications to the shock structures, implying the importance of the CR acceleration at astrophysical shocks.

Diffusive Shock Acceleration with Self-Consistent Injection

KANG HYESUNG The Korean Astronomical Society 2001 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.34 No.4

A numerical scheme that incorporates a self-consistent cosmic-ray (CR, hereafter) injection model into the combined gas dynamics and CR diffusion-convection code has been developed. The hydro/CR code can follow in a very cos-effective way the evolution of CR modified shocks by adopting subzone shock-tracking and multi-level Adaptive Mesh Refinement techniques. The injection model is based on interactions of the suprathermal particles with self-generated MHD waves in quasi-parallel shocks. The particle injection is followed numerically by filtering the diffusive flux of suprathermal particles across the shock to upstream region according to a velocity-dependent transparency function, which represents the fraction of leaking suprathermal particles. In the strong shock limit of Mach numbers $\ge$20, significant physical processes such as the injection and acceleration seem to become independent of M, while they are sensitively dependent on M for M < 10. Although some particles injected early in the evolution continue to be accelerated to higher energies, the postshock CR pressure reaches a time asymptotic value due to balance between acceleration and diffusion of the CR particles.