On the structure of relativistic collisionless shocks in electron-ion plasmas

Abstract

Relativistic collisionless shocks in electron-ion plasma are thought to occur in the afterglow phase of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), and in other environments where relativistic flows interact with the interstellar medium. A particular regime of shocks in an unmagnetized plasma has generated much interest for GRB applications. In this paper we present ab-initio particle-in-cell simulations of unmagnetized relativistic electron-ion shocks. Using long-term 2.5-dimensional simulations with ion-electron mass ratios from 16 to 1000 we resolve the shock formation and reach a steady-state shock structure beyond the initial transient. We find that even at high ion-electron mass ratios initially unmagnetized shocks can be effectively mediated by the ion Weibel instability with a typical shock thickness of ~50 ion skin-depths. Upstream of the shock the interaction with merging ion current filaments heats the electron component, so that the postshock flow achieves near equipartition between the ions and electrons, with electron temperature reaching 50% of the ion temperature. This energy exchange helps to explain the large electron energy fraction inferred from GRB afterglow observations.

4 pages, 3 figures; submitted to ApJ Letters