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Hybrid simulations of protons strongly accelerated by a parallel collisionless shock
Author(s) -
Giacalone J.,
Burgess D.,
Schwartz S. J.,
Ellison Donald C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/92gl00379
Subject(s) - turbulence , physics , upstream (networking) , population , range (aeronautics) , shock (circulatory) , acceleration , computational physics , mechanics , particle acceleration , upstream and downstream (dna) , foreshock , shock wave , plasma , statistical physics , classical mechanics , geology , aerospace engineering , nuclear physics , computer science , medicine , computer network , demography , sociology , seismology , aftershock , engineering
We present initial results from one‐dimensional hybrid simulations which directly address the problems of using such methods to simulate the acceleration of ions to high energy by parallel shocks. As particles are accelerated from the thermal population, they are repeatedly “split,” thereby ensuring statistically valid energy spectra covering a wide dynamic range. In order to model the complex foreshock, as expected if the simulation domain were large enough, and as seen in observations, we introduce a source of upstream turbulence. This turbulence produces an enhanced high energy tail in the upstream particle distribution extending to over a hundred times the plasma flow energy, and a prominent shoulder downstream.