Open AccessAlfvénic reacceleration of relativistic particles in galaxy clusters: MHD waves, leptons and hadrons
Author(s) -
Brunetti G.,
Blasi P.,
Cassano R.,
Gabici S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07727.x
Subject(s) - physics , intracluster medium , galaxy cluster , radio halo , astrophysics , magnetohydrodynamics , electron , relativistic particle , relativistic speed , particle acceleration , galaxy , computational physics , nuclear physics , plasma
There is growing evidence that extended radio haloes are most likely generated by electrons reaccelerated via some kind of turbulence generated in the cluster volume during major mergers. It is well known that Alfvén waves channel most of their energy flux in the acceleration of relativistic particles. Much work has been done recently to study this phenomenon and its consequences for the explanation of the observed non‐thermal phenomena in clusters of galaxies. We investigate here the problem of particle–wave interactions in the most general situation in which relativistic electrons, thermal protons and relativistic protons exist within the cluster volume. The interaction of all these components with the waves, as well as the turbulent cascading and damping processes of Alfvén waves, are treated in a fully time‐dependent way. This allows us to calculate the spectra of electrons, protons and waves at any fixed time. The Lighthill mechanism is invoked to couple the fluid turbulence, supposedly injected during cluster mergers, to MHD turbulence. We find that present observations of non‐thermal radiation from clusters of galaxies are well described within this approach, provided the fraction of relativistic hadrons in the intracluster medium (ICM) is smaller than 5–10 per cent.