Diagnosing particle acceleration in relativistic jets. Issue Volume 10:Issue S313(2014) (24th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Böttcher, Markus; Baring, Matthew G.; Liang, Edison P.; Summerlin, Errol J.; Fu, Wen; Smith, Ian A.; Roustazadeh, Parisa
• Editors: Massaro, F.; Cheung, C. C.; Lopez, E.; Siemiginowska, A.
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 10:Issue S313(2014)
• Page Start: 153
• Page End: 158
• Publication Date: 2015-03-24
• Subjects: acceleration of particles, -- radiation mechanisms: nonthermal, -- BL Lacertae objects: individual (AO 0235+164, Mrk 501), -- gamma rays: theory; Astronomy -- Congresses; Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520
• DOI: 10.1017/S1743921315002100
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9213

Abstract

Abstract: The high-energy emission from blazars and other relativistic jet sources indicates that electrons are accelerated to ultra-relativistic (GeV - TeV) energies in these systems. This paper summarizes recent results from numerical studies of two fundamentally different particle acceleration mechanisms potentially at work in relativistic jets: Magnetic-field generation and relativistic particle acceleration in relativistic shear layers, which are likely to be present in relativistic jets, is studied via Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations. Diffusive shock acceleration at relativistic shocks is investigated using Monte-Carlo simulations. The resulting magnetic-field configurations and thermal + non-thermal particle distributions are then used to predict multi-wavelength radiative (synchrotron + Compton) signatures of both acceleration scenarios. In particular, we address how anisotropic shear-layer acceleration may be able to circumvent the well-known Lorentz-factor crisis, and how the self-consistent evaluation of thermal + non-thermal particle populations in diffusive shock acceleration simulations provides tests of the bulk Comptonization model for the Big Blue Bump observed in the SEDs of several blazars.