Collisionless Relativistic Shocks:current driven turbulence and particle acceleration

Abstract

The physics of collisionless relativistic shocks with a moderate magnetization is presented. Micro-physics is relevant to explain the most energetic radiative phenomena of Nature, namely that of the termination shock of Gamma Ray Bursts. A transition towards Fermi process occurs for decreasing magnetization around a critical value which turns out to be the condition for the scattering to break the mean field inhibition. Scattering is produced by magnetic micro-turbulence driven by the current carried by returning particles, which had not been considered till now, but turns out to be more intense than Weibel's one around the transition. The current is also responsible for a buffer effect on the motion of the incoming flow, on which the threshold for the onset of turbulence depends.

7 pages, presented at HEPRO IV (High Energy Phenomena in Relativistic Outflows) conference in July 2013 in Heidelberg, Germany. Proceedings to appear in International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference series