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Title: Kinetic simulations of strongly magnetized parallel shocks: deviations from MHD jump conditions
ABSTRACT Shocks waves are a ubiquitous feature of many astrophysical plasma systems, and an important process for energy dissipation and transfer. The physics of these shock waves are frequently treated/modelled as a collisional, fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) discontinuity, despite the fact that many shocks occur in the collisionless regime. In light of this, using fully kinetic, 3D simulations of non-relativistic, parallel propagating collisionless shocks comprised of electron-positron plasma, we detail the deviation of collisionless shocks form MHD predictions for varying magnetization/Alfvénic Mach numbers, with particular focus on systems with Alfénic Mach numbers much smaller than sonic Mach numbers. We show that the shock compression ratio decreases for sufficiently large upstream magnetic fields, in agreement with theoretical predictions from previous works. Additionally, we examine the role of magnetic field strength on the shock front width. This work reinforces a growing body of work that suggest that modelling many astrophysical systems with only a fluid plasma description omits potentially important physics.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1936393
PAR ID:
10348637
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume:
509
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0035-8711
Page Range / eLocation ID:
2084 to 2090
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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