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Astrophysical shocks are often studied in the high Mach number limit butweakly compressive fast shocks can occur in magnetic reconnection outflows andare considered to be a site of particle energization in solar flares. Here westudy the microphysics of such perpendicular, low Mach number collisionlessshocks using two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with a reducedion/electron mass ratio and employ a moving wall boundary method for initialgeneration of the shock. This moving wall method allows for more control of theshock speed, smaller simulation box sizes, and longer simulation times than thecommonly used fixed wall, reflection method of shock formation. Our results,which are independent of the shock formation method, reveal the prevalenceshock drift acceleration (SDA) of both electron and ions in a purelyperpendicular shock with Alfv\'en Mach number $M_A=6.8$ and ratio of thermal tomagnetic pressure $\beta=8$. We determine the respective minimum energiesrequired for electrons and ions to incur SDA. We derive a theoretical electrondistribution via SDA that compares to the simulation results. We also show thata modified two-stream instability due to the incoming and reflecting ions inthe shock transition region acts as the mechanism to generate collisionlessplasma turbulence that sustains the shock.

Particle-in-cell simulations of particle energization from low Mach number fast mode shocks