Vortical Amplification of the Magnetic Field at an Inward Shock of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

F. Fraschetti, S. Katsuda, T. Sato, J. R. Jokipii, and J. Giacalone
Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 251101 – Published 21 June 2018

Abstract

We present an interpretation of the time variability of the x-ray flux recently reported from a multiepoch campaign of 15 years of observations of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A by Chandra. We show for the first time quantitatively that the [4.2–6] keV nonthermal flux increase up to 50% traces the growth of the magnetic field due to a vortical amplification mechanism at a reflection inward shock colliding with inner overdensities. The fast synchrotron cooling as compared with shock-acceleration time scale qualitatively supports the flux decrease.

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  • Received 24 January 2018
  • Revised 30 April 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.251101

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Gravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsPlasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

F. Fraschetti1,*, S. Katsuda2, T. Sato3, J. R. Jokipii4, and J. Giacalone4

  • 1Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA; Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 2Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Ohkubo, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
  • 3RIKEN Nishina Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
  • 4Departments of Planetary Sciences and Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA

  • *federico.fraschetti@cfa.harvard.edu

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Vol. 120, Iss. 25 — 22 June 2018

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