• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.55.2-55.2
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• 2019

The firehose instability is driven by a pressure anisotropy in a magnetized plasma when the temperature along the magnetic field is higher than the perpendicular temperature. Such condition occurs commonly in astrophysical and space environments, for instance, when there are beams aligned with the background magnetic field. Recently, it was argued that, in weak quasi-perpendicular shocks in the high-β intracluster medium (ICM), shock-reflected electrons propagating upstream cause the temperature anisotropy. This electron temperature anisotropy can trigger the electron firehose instability (EFI), which excites oblique waves in the shock foot. Scattering of electrons by these waves enables multiple cycles of shock drift acceleration (SDA) in the preshock region, leading to the electron injection to diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). In the study, the kinetic properties of the EFI are examined by the linear stability analysis based on the kinetic Vlasov-Maxwell theory and then further investigated by 2D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations, especially focusing on those in high-β (β~100) plasmas. We then discuss the basic properties of the firehose instability, and the implication of our work on electron acceleration in ICM shock.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1209-1215
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• 2012

Experiments with premixed flames in a tube have been conducted to investigate the transition phenomenon from a laminar flat flame to turbulent motions. To induce this phenomenon, a flat flame is formed in a tube. Then, the local velocity at the center of the flat flame surface is increased using $CO_2$ laser irradiation. The deformed flame front propagates with an increase in the total flame surface and oscillating instability. Eventually, the flame front accelerates explosively, and it shows turbulent flame motions with a strong noise. The dynamic behaviors of the flame front prior to the turbulent motions are analyzed in this study to elucidate this process. The physical model of the process is presented according to observations.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.67.1-67.1
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• 2012

Shocks are evolved when the relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), black hole binaries, supernova remnants (SNR) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) interact with the surrounding medium. The high energy particles are believed to be accelerated by the diffusive shock acceleration and the strong magnetic field is generated by Weibel instability in the shock. When ultrarelativistic electrons with strong magnetic field cool by the synchrotron emission, the radiation is observed in gamma-ray burst and the near-equipartitioned magnetic field in the external shock delays the afterglow emission. In this paper, we performed the 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to understand the characteristics of these relativistic shock and particle acceleration. Forward and reverse shocks are shaped while the unmagnetized injecting jet interacts with the unmagnetized ambient medium. Both upstream and downstream become thermalized and the particle accelerations are shown in each transition region of the shock structures.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.55.2-55.2
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• 2020

Radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters are interpreted as synchrotron radiation due to the relativistic electrons produced via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in shocks with low sonic Mach numbers, Ms ≤ 3 in high beta ICM plasma. Electron injection into the DSA process at such weak shocks is one of the key elements, which has yet to be fully understood. In this study, we explore the nature of kinetic microinstabilities excited in weak quasi-perpendicular shocks through 2D particle-in-cell simulations. We find Alfven-ion cyclotron (AIC), whistler, and mirror instabilities can be triggered by ion and electron temperature anisotropy in the immediate downstream of supercritical shocks with Ms > Mcrit ~ 2.3. In particular, AIC instability causes rippling of the shock surface, which in turn generates plasma waves on multi-scales and faciliates the electron preacceleration. Our results may contribute to understanding the origins of radio relics.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.127-138
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• 2012

We explore how wave-particle interactions affect diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at astrophysical shocks by performing time-dependent kinetic simulations, in which phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification (MFA), Alfv$\acute{e}$nic drift, thermal leakage injection, Bohm-like diffusion, and a free escape boundary are implemented. If the injection fraction of cosmic-ray (CR) particles is ${\xi}$ > $2{\times}10^{-4}$, for the shock parameters relevant for young supernova remnants, DSA is efficient enough to develop a significant shock precursor due to CR feedback, and magnetic field can be amplified up to a factor of 20 via CR streaming instability in the upstream region. If scattering centers drift with Alfv$\acute{e}$n speed in the amplified magnetic field, the CR energy spectrum can be steepened significantly and the acceleration efficiency is reduced. Nonlinear DSA with self-consistent MFA and Alfv$\acute{e}$nic drift predicts that the postshock CR pressure saturates roughly at ~10 % of the shock ram pressure for strong shocks with a sonic Mach number ranging $20{\leq}M_s{\leq}100$. Since the amplified magnetic field follows the flow modification in the precursor, the low energy end of the particle spectrum is softened much more than the high energy end. As a result, the concave curvature in the energy spectra does not disappear entirely even with the help of Alfv$\acute{e}$nic drift. For shocks with a moderate Alfv$\acute{e}$n Mach number ($M_A$ < 10), the accelerated CR spectrum can become as steep as $E^{-2.1}$ - $E^{-2.3}$, which is more consistent with the observed CR spectrum and gamma-ray photon spectrum of several young supernova remnants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.444-453
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• 1987

In the present study, a new computational closure model is proposed in order to contain physical models in the k- and .epsilon.- equations. The time scale of the third-order diffusive transport of turbulent kinetic energy in a curved streamline flow field is assumed as a function of a velocity time scale and a curvature time scale, the latter being derived from the analogy between buoyancy and streamline curvature effects on turbulence. The curvature time scale is represented by a combination of Brunt-Vaisala frequency of the curvature instability and the velocity time scale. Besides the modification of diffusive transport time scale, the destruction term in the dissipation rate equation is modeled to incorporate the streamline curvature effect on the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy as a function of the ratio between velocity time scale and curvature time scale. The new curvature dependent 2-equation model is found to yield very good prediction accuracy for the various turbulent recirculating flows. Particurarly, the recovery of the mean velocity profile in the redeveloping region after the reattachment is correctly simulated by the present model.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2019

Giant radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters have been observed and they are interpreted as synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in weak shocks of Ms < 3.0. In the DSA theory, the particle momentum should be greater than a few times the momentum of thermal protons to cross the shock transition and participate in the Fermi acceleration process. In the equilibrium, the momentum of thermal electrons is much smaller than the momentum of thermal protons, so electrons need to be pre-accelerated before they can go through DSA. To investigate such electron injection process, we study the electron pre-acceleration in weak quasi-perpendicular shocks (Ms = 2.0 - 3.0) in an ICM plasma (kT = 8.6 keV, beta = 100) through 2D particle-in-cell simulations. It is known that in quasi-perpendicular shocks, a substantial fraction of electrons could be reflected upstream, gain energy via shock drift acceleration (SDA), and generate oblique waves via the electron firehose instability (EFI), leading the energization of electrons through wave-particle interactions. We find that such kinetic processes are effective only in supercritical shocks above a critical Mach number, $Ms{\ast}{\sim}2.3$. In addition, even in shocks with Ms > 2.3, energized electrons may not reach high energies to be injected to DSA, because the oblique EFI alone fails to generate long-wavelength waves. Our results should have implications for the origin and nature of radio relics.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.36.2-36.2
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• 2021

In the outskirts of galaxy clusters, weak shocks with M_s < ~3 appear as radio relics where the synchrotron radiation is emitted from cosmic-ray (CR) electrons. To understand the production of CR electrons through the so-called diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), the electron injection into the DSA process at shocks in the hot intracluster medium (ICM) has to be described. However, the injection remains as an unsolved, outstanding problem. To explore this problem, 2D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations were performed. In this talk, we present the electron preacceleration mechanism mediated by multi-scale plasma waves in the shock transition zone. In particular, we find that the electron preacceleration is effective only in the supercritical shocks, which have the sonic Mach number M_s > M_crit ≈ 2.3 in the high-beta (β~100) plasma of the ICM, because the Alfven ion cyclotron instability operates and hence multi-scale plasma waves are induced only in such supercritical shocks. Our findings will help to understand the nature of radio relics in galaxy clusters.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.25-39
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• 2010

We perform kinetic simulations of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs) expanding into a uniform interstellar medium (ISM). Bohm-like diffusion due to self-excited $Alfv\acute{e}n$ waves is assumed, and simple models for $Alfv\acute{e}nic$ drift and dissipation are adopted. Phenomenological models for thermal leakage injection are considered as well. We find that the preshock gas temperature is the primary parameter that governs the cosmic ray (CR) acceleration efficiency and energy spectrum, while the CR injection rate is a secondary parameter. For SNRs in the warm ISM of $T_0\lesssim10^5K$, if the injection fraction is $\xi\gtrsim10^{-4}K$, the DSA is efficient enough to convert more than 20% of the SN explosion energy into CRs and the accelerated CR spectrum exhibits a concave curvature flattening to $E^{-1.6}$, which is characteristic of CR modified shocks. Such a flat source spectrum near the knee energy, however, may not be reconciled with the CR spectrum observed at Earth. On the other hand, SNRs in the hot ISM of$T_{0}\approx10^{6}K$ with a small injection fraction, $\xi$<$10^{-4}$, are inefficient accelerators with less than 10% of the explosion energy getting converted to CRs. Also the shock structure is almost test-particle like and the ensuing CR spectrum can be steeper than $E^{-2}$. With amplified magnetic field strength of order of $30{\mu}G$ $Alfv\acute{e}n$ waves generated by the streaming instability may drift upstream fast enough to make the modified test-particle power-law as steep as $E^{-2.3}$, which is more consistent with the observed CR spectrum.