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Efficient Nonthermal Particle Acceleration by the Kink Instability in Relativistic Jets

E. P. Alves, J. Zrake, and F. Fiuza
Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 245101 – Published 14 December 2018
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Abstract

Relativistic magnetized jets from active galaxies are among the most powerful cosmic accelerators, but their particle acceleration mechanisms remain a mystery. We present a new acceleration mechanism associated with the development of the helical kink instability in relativistic jets, which leads to the efficient conversion of the jet’s magnetic energy into nonthermal particles. Large-scale three-dimensional ab initio simulations reveal that the formation of highly tangled magnetic fields and a large-scale inductive electric field throughout the kink-unstable region promotes rapid energization of the particles. The energy distribution of the accelerated particles develops a well-defined power-law tail extending to the radiation-reaction limited energy in the case of leptons, and to the confinement energy of the jet in the case of ions. When applied to the conditions of well-studied bright knots in jets from active galaxies, this mechanism can account for the spectrum of synchrotron and inverse Compton radiating particles, and offers a viable means of accelerating ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays to 1020eV.

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  • Received 17 July 2018
  • Revised 8 October 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.245101

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma PhysicsGravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

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Black Hole as Extreme Particle Accelerator

Published 14 December 2018

Large-scale simulations suggest a mechanism by which supermassive black holes could accelerate particles to ultrahigh energies.

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Authors & Affiliations

E. P. Alves1,*, J. Zrake2, and F. Fiuza1,†

  • 1High Energy Density Science Division, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
  • 2Physics Department and Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, 538 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, USA

  • *epalves@slac.stanford.edu
  • fiuza@slac.stanford.edu

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Vol. 121, Iss. 24 — 14 December 2018

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