松本 洋介

Abstract The injection process of pickup ion acceleration at a heliospheric termination shock is investigated. Using two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulation, accelerated pickup ions are self-consistently reproduced by tracking long time evolution of shocks with an unprecedentedly large system size in the shock normal direction. Reflected pickup ions drive upstream large-amplitude waves through resonant instabilities. Convection of the large-amplitude waves causes shock surface reformation and alters the downstream electromagnetic structure. A part of pickup ions are accelerated to tens of upstream flow energy in the timescale of ∼100 times inverse ion gyrofrequency. The initial acceleration occurs through the shock surfing acceleration (SSA) mechanism followed by the shock drift acceleration mechanism. Large electrostatic potential accompanied by the upstream waves enables the SSA to occur.

Abstract Strong soft X-ray emission called soft X-ray excess is often observed in luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN). It has been suggested that the soft X-rays are emitted from a warm (T = 10⁶ ∼ 10⁷ K) region that is optically thick for the Thomson scattering (warm Comptonization region). Motivated by the recent observations that soft X-ray excess appears in changing look AGN (CLAGN) during the state transition from a dim state without broad emission lines to a bright state with broad emission lines, we performed global three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations, assuming that the mass accretion rate increases and becomes around 10% of the Eddington accretion rate. The simulation successfully reproduces a warm, Thomson-thick region outside the hot radiatively inefficient accretion flow near the black hole. The warm region is formed by efficient radiative cooling due to inverse Compton scattering. The calculated luminosity 0.01−0.08 L _Edd is consistent with the luminosity of CLAGN. We also found that the warm Comptonization region is well described by the steady model of magnetized disks supported by azimuthal magnetic fields. When the antiparallel azimuthal magnetic fields supporting the radiatively cooled region reconnect around the equatorial plane of the disk, the temperature of the region becomes higher by releasing the magnetic energy transported to the region.

Boundaries between space plasmas occur in numerous contexts and scales, from astrophysical jets to planetary magnetospheres. Mass and momentum transport across boundaries poses a fundamental problem in magnetospheric physics. Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) is a promising mechanism to facilitate transport. Although previous studies have suggested KHI occurrence in various space plasmas, theory predicts that compressibility prevents KHI excitation at boundaries with large density gradients because of previously considered boundary structures where density varies with velocity. Based on the observations of a large density gradient boundary by MAVEN at Mars, where we can observe an extreme case, in this study, we show that it is the entropy, instead of the previously considered density, that varies with the velocity in the real velocity-sheared boundary. The entropy-based boundary structure places the velocity shear in a lower-density region than the traditional density-based structure and weakens the compressibility effect. This new boundary structure thus enables KHI excitation even at large density gradient boundaries, such as at the ionopause of unmagnetized planets and the plasmapause of magnetized planets. The result suggests the ubiquitous occurrence of KHI in the plasma universe and emphasizes its important role in planetary cold plasma escape from unmagnetized planets.

Abstract We examine the evolution of ion-beam Weibel instability at strong collisionless shocks in weakly magnetized media. We find that a finite background magnetic field substantially affects both the linear and nonlinear phases of the instability, depending on whether the background electrons behave magnetized or not. Particle-in-cell simulations for magnetized electrons identify a dynamo-like mechanism of magnetic field amplification, which eventually leads to spontaneous magnetic reconnection. We conclude that this scenario is applicable to typical young supernova remnant shocks.

The Weibel instability is investigated using relativistic intense short laser pulses. A relativistic short laser pulse can generate a sub-relativistic high-density collisionless plasma. By irradiating double parallel planar targets with two relativistic laser pulses, sub-relativistic collisionless counterstreaming plasmas are created. Since the growth rate of the Weibel instability is proportional to the plasma density and velocity, the spatial and temporal scales of the Weibel instability can be much smaller than that from nanosecond large laser facilities. Recent theoretical and numerical studies have revealed that astrophysical collisionless shocks in sub-relativistic regimes in the absence and presence of an ambient magnetic field play essential roles in cosmic ray acceleration. With experimental verification in mind, we discuss the possible experimental models on the Weibel instability with intense short laser pulses. In order to show the experimental feasibility, we perform 2D particle-in-cell simulations in the absence of an external magnetic field as the first step and discuss the optimum conditions to realize the nonlinear evolutions of the Weibel instability in laboratories.

<title>Abstract</title> Particle acceleration at magnetized purely perpendicular relativistic shocks in electron–ion plasmas is studied by means of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Magnetized shocks with the upstream bulk Lorentz factor <italic>γ</italic> ₁ ≫ 1 are known to emit intense electromagnetic waves from the shock front, which induce electrostatic plasma waves (wakefield) and transverse filamentary structures in the upstream region via stimulated/induced Raman scattering and filamentation instability, respectively. The wakefield and filaments inject a fraction of the incoming particles into a particle acceleration process, in which particles are once decoupled from the upstream bulk flow by the wakefield, and are picked up again by the flow. The picked-up particles are accelerated by the motional electric field. The maximum attainable Lorentz factor is estimated as <inline-formula> <tex-math> <?CDATA ${\gamma }_{\max ,e}\sim \alpha {\gamma }_{1}^{3}$?> </tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>max</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> <inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="apjac38aaieqn1.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> </inline-formula> for electrons and <inline-formula> <tex-math> <?CDATA ${\gamma }_{\max ,i}\sim (1+{m}_{e}{\gamma }_{1}/{m}_{i}){\gamma }_{1}^{2}$?> </tex-math> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>max</mml:mi> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mi>i</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo stretchy="true">/</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>i</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> <inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="apjac38aaieqn2.gif" xlink:type="simple" /> </inline-formula> for ions, where <italic>α</italic> ∼ 10 is determined from our simulation results. <italic>α</italic> can increase up to <italic>γ</italic> ₁ for a weakly magnetized shock if <italic>γ</italic> ₁ is sufficiently large. This result indicates that highly relativistic astrophysical shocks such as external shocks of gamma-ray bursts can be an efficient particle accelerator.

<title>Abstract</title> Particle acceleration and heating at mildly relativistic magnetized shocks in electron-ion plasma are investigated with unprecedentedly high-resolution two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that include ion-scale shock rippling. Electrons are super-adiabatically heated at the shock, and most of the energy transfer from protons to electrons takes place at or downstream of the shock. We are the first to demonstrate that shock rippling is crucial for the energization of electrons at the shock. They remain well below equipartition with the protons. The downstream electron spectra are approximately thermal with a limited supra-thermal power-law component. Our results are discussed in the context of wakefield acceleration and the modelling of electromagnetic radiation from blazar cores.

<title>Abstract</title> Mildly relativistic shocks in magnetized electron-ion plasmas are investigated with 2D kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of unprecedentedly high resolution and large scale for conditions that may be found at internal shocks in blazar cores. Ion-scale effects cause corrugations along the shock surface whose properties somewhat depend on the configuration of the mean perpendicular magnetic field, that is either in or out of the simulation plane. We show that the synchrotron maser instability persists to operate in mildly relativistic shocks in agreement with theoretical predictions and produces coherent emission of upstream-propagating electromagnetic waves. Shock front ripples are excited in both mean-field configurations and they engender effective wave amplification. The interaction of these waves with upstream plasma generates electrostatic wakefields.

GEO-X (GEOspace X-ray imager) is a 50 kg-class small satellite to image the global Earth's magnetosphere in X-rays via solar wind charge exchange emission. A 12U CubeSat will be injected into an elliptical orbit with an apogee distance of similar to 40 Earth radii. In order to observe the diffuse soft X-ray emission in 0.3-2 keV and to verify X-ray imaging of the dayside structures of the magnetosphere such as cusps, magnetosheaths and magnetopauses which are identified statistically by in-situ satellite observations, an original light-weight X-ray imaging spectrometer (similar to 10 kg, similar to 10 W, similar to 10x10x30 cm) will be carried. The payload is composed of a ultra light-weight MEMS Wolter type-I telescope (similar to 4x4 deg(2) FOV, <10 arcmin resolution) and a high speed CMOS sensor with a thin optical blocking filter (similar to 2x2 cm(2), frame rate similar to 20 ms, energy resolution <80 eV FWHM at 0.6 keV). An aimed launch year is 2023-25 corresponding to the 25th solar maximum.

Fully kinetic two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to study electron acceleration at high-Mach-number nonrelativistic perpendicular shocks. Supernova remnant shocks are mediated by the Weibel instability, which is excited because of an interaction between shock-reflected and upstream ions. Nonlinear evolution of the Weibel instability leads to the formation of current sheets. At the turbulent shock ramp the current sheets decay through magnetic reconnection. The number of reconnection sites strongly depends on the ion-to-electron mass ratio and the Alfvenic Mach number of the simulated shock. Electron acceleration is observed at locations where magnetic reconnection operates. For the highest mass ratios almost all electrons are involved in magnetic reconnection, which makes the magnetic reconnection the dominant acceleration process for electrons at these shocks. We discuss the relevance of our results for 3D systems with realistic ion-to-electron mass ratio.

© 2020 us. © 2020 American Physical Society. American Physical Society. The first-order Fermi acceleration of electrons requires an injection of electrons into a mildly relativistic energy range. However, the mechanism of injection has remained a puzzle both in theory and observation. We present direct evidence for a novel stochastic shock drift acceleration theory for the injection obtained with Magnetospheric Multiscale observations at the Earth's bow shock. The theoretical model can explain electron acceleration to mildly relativistic energies at high-speed astrophysical shocks, which may provide a solution to the long-standing issue of electron injection.

© 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.. We explore electron preacceleration at high-Mach-number nonrelativistic perpendicular shocks at, e.g., young supernova remnants, which are a prerequisite of further acceleration to very high energies via diffusive shock acceleration. Using fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of shocks and electron dynamics in them, we investigate the influence of shock-surfing acceleration (SSA) at the shock foot on the nonthermal population of electrons downstream of the shock. The SSA is followed by further energization at the shock ramp where the Weibel instability spawns a type of second-order Fermi acceleration. The combination of these two processes leads to the formation of a nonthermal electron population, but the importance of SSA becomes smaller for larger ion-to-electron mass ratios in the simulation. We discuss the resulting electron spectra and the relevance of our results to the physics of systems with real ion-to-electron mass ratios and fully three-dimensional behavior.

© 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.. We investigated electromagnetic precursor wave emission in relativistic shocks by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We found that the wave amplitude is significantly enhanced by a positive feedback process associated with ion-electron coupling through the wakefields for high magnetization. The wakefields collapse during the nonlinear process of the parametric decay instability in the near-upstream region, where nonthermal electrons and ions are generated. The intense coherent emission and the particle acceleration may operate in high-energy astrophysical objects.

© 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Electron injection at high Mach number nonrelativistic perpendicular shocks is studied here for parameters that are applicable to young SNR shocks. Using high-resolution large-scale two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations and tracing individual particles, we in detail analyze the shock-surfing acceleration (SSA) of electrons at the leading edge of the shock foot. The central question is to what degree the process can be captured in 2D3V simulations. We find that the energy gain in SSA always arises from the electrostatic field of a Buneman wave. Electron energization is more efficient in the out-of-plane orientation of the large-scale magnetic field because both the phase speed and the amplitude of the waves are higher than for the in-plane scenario. Also, a larger number of electrons is trapped by the waves compared to the in-plane configuration. We conclude that significant modifications of the simulation parameters are needed to reach the same level of SSA efficiency as in simulations with out-of-plane magnetic field or 3D simulations.

Observations of the Mars upper atmosphere made from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft have been used to determine the loss rates of gas from the upper atmosphere to space for a complete Mars year (16 Nov 2014 – 3 Oct 2016). Loss rates for H and O are sufficient to remove ∼2–3 kg/s to space. By itself, this loss would be significant over the history of the planet. In addition, loss rates would have been greater early in history due to the enhanced solar EUV and more-active Sun. Integrated loss, based on current processes whose escape rates in the past are adjusted according to expected solar evolution, would have been as much as 0.8 bar CO2 or 23 m global equivalent layer of H2O; these losses are likely to be lower limits due to the nature of the extrapolation of loss rates to the earliest times. Combined with the lack of surface or subsurface reservoirs for CO2 that could hold remnants of an early, thick atmosphere, these results suggest that loss of gas to space has been the dominant process responsible for changing the climate of Mars from an early, warmer environment to the cold, dry one that we see today.

© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.. We investigated the precursor wave emission efficiency in magnetized purely perpendicular relativistic shocks in pair plasmas. We extended our previous study to include the dependence of upstream magnetic field orientations. We performed two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and focused on two magnetic field orientations: the magnetic field in the simulation plane (i.e., in-plane configuration) and that perpendicular to the simulation plane (i.e., out-of-plane configuration). Our simulations in the in-plane configuration demonstrated that not only extraordinary but also ordinary mode waves are excited. We quantified the emission efficiency as a function of the magnetization parameter σ e and found that the large-amplitude precursor waves are emitted for a wide range of σ e. We found that especially at low σ e, the magnetic field generated by Weibel instability amplifies the ordinary mode wave power. The amplitude is large enough to perturb the upstream plasma, and transverse density filaments are generated as in the case of the out-of-plane configuration investigated in the previous study. We confirmed that our previous conclusion holds regardless of upstream magnetic field orientations with respect to the two-dimensional simulation plane. We discuss the precursor wave emission in three dimensions and the feasibility of wakefield acceleration in relativistic shocks based on our results.

We investigated the efficiency of coherent upstream large-amplitude<br /> electromagnetic wave emission via synchrotron maser instability at relativistic<br /> magnetized shocks by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We<br /> considered the purely perpendicular shock in an electron-positron plasma. The<br /> coherent wave emission efficiency was measured as a function of the<br /> magnetization parameter {\sigma}, which is defined by the ratio of the Poynting<br /> flux to the kinetic energy flux. The wave amplitude was systematically smaller<br /> than that observed in one-dimensional simulations. However, it continued to<br /> persist, even at a considerably low magnetization rate, where the Weibel<br /> instability dominated the shock transition. The emitted electromagnetic waves<br /> were sufficiently strong to disturb the upstream medium, and transverse<br /> filamentary density structures of substantial amplitude were produced. Based on<br /> this result, we discuss the possibility of the wakefield acceleration model for<br /> the production of non-thermal electrons in a relativistic magnetized<br /> ion-electron shock.

Electron acceleration in a high plasma beta and low Mach number quasi-perpendicular shock is investigated by using two-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulation. Although efficient shock drift acceleration followed by reflection was observed in the previous one-dimensional simulation, no reflected electrons are found due to the effect of shock surface rippling for the particular parameters examined here. Structure of the shock transition region is complex in spite of the high beta and low Mach number situation. In addition to the ion scale fluctuations including the ripple, electron scale fluctuations are also recognized. Among these, downstream fluctuations are dominated by Alfven ion cyclotron instability, the fluctuations in the foot are due to modified two-stream instability. Electron distribution function in the transition region indicates non-thermal nature. The energy gained by the non-thermal electrons is not explained merely by the shock drift acceleration, implying the importance of local waveparticle interactions.

A characteristic heavy-ion signature observed in the vicinity of the Martian ionosphere during passages of Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) structures in solar wind is reported. We analyzed data obtained by the IMA/ASPERA-3 onboard the Mars Express (MEX) from September to October 2007. We compared the solar wind velocity at Mars derived from a shifted Maxwellian fitting to the IMA data with time-shifted Advanced Composition Explorer satellite data taken at ∼1 AU to the Martian orbit. Using the derived solar wind velocity, we identified four CIR structures passing through Mars quasiperiodically. Coinciding with the CIR passages, the IMA observed heavy-ion flux enhancement in the vicinity of the Martian ionosphere. The heavy-ion energies reach 100 eV and sometimes up to approximately several kiloelectron volts. Observed ion velocity distribution functions show that they are mainly precipitating toward the Martian ionosphere. The flux of the precipitating ions is typically 105-106 (104-105) cm-2 s-1 for the energy range of 50-500 eV (≥500 eV) and it becomes by one order of magnitude higher in one event. While the flux level is consistent with a previous model prediction of sputtering ions, the intermittent occurrence of the heavy-ion precipitation differs from conventional expectation of constant precipitation. These results suggest that the efficiency of the sputtering process in the Martian atmospheric escape is highly variable with dynamic solar wind variations. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.