MHD instability of the long-wavelength fluctuations in the collisionless shocks with accelerated particles

A.M. Bykov1,2, S.M. Osipov, I.N. Toptygin2
1Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, 26 Politekhnicheskaya st., Saint-Petersburg, 194021 Russia
2St.Petersburg State Polytechnical University, 29 Polytechnicheskaya st., St. Petersburg, 195251 Russia

Energetic particle acceleration in collisionless shocks results in extended cosmic ray current in the shock upstream. We found a cosmic ray current driven instability of long-wavelength fluctuations in the shock upstream (the wavelengths are longer than the cosmic ray mean free path). The growth rates for the unstable long-wavelength fluctuations are calculated using an appropriate averaging method for the hybrid kinetic/MHD equations of a multicomponent turbulent plasma with anisotropic distribution of relativistic particles. The growth rates are compared with that of the non-resonant short-wavelength instability investigated by Bell (2004). The amplification of the long-wavelength magnetic field fluctuations is essential for the problem of maximal energy of the particles accelerated by Fermi mechanism in collisionless shocks of SNRs.


[Back to the Programme] [Seminar Home Page] [Department of Theoretical Astrophysics] [Ioffe Institute]

Page created on June 25, 2009.