Probing Relativistic Outflows: The Case of PSR J07370 A & B and the Structure of Relativistic Shocks

探测相对论流出：PSR J07370 A 的案例

• 批准号: 0507813
• 负责人: Jonathan Arons
• 金额: $ 64.55万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2010-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0507813&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Probing; Relativistic; Outflows; Case; PSR

AST-0507813AronsThis research addresses fundamental questions about the origin of non-thermal energy in the Universe. Rotation powered pulsars are among the most fascinating and bizarre compact objects around, involving rotating neutron stars with surface magnetic fields a trillion times stronger than that of the Earth. In the standard model, the rotation of the magnetic field generates huge voltages that cause a relativistically accelerated particle beam to be extracted from the stellar surface and flow along the polar magnetic field, emitting gamma rays that convert to electrons and positrons. The recently discovered double pulsar binary system offers the opportunity to probe this relativistic outflow unprecedentedly close to the source, using the eclipses and emission formed by the shock-heated plasma created when the relativistic wind from the fast pulsar collides with the magnetosphere of the slow pulsar. This same physics applies to the visible hot spots at the end of the jets from radio galaxies, and to the shock waves and afterglows in gamma ray burst sources. This project will study this physics using 3D relativistic magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the flows, 3D particle-in-cell simulations of the relativistic shocks, and analytical modeling to understand and extrapolate the results of the simulations.The results will apply to other areas of astrophysics and will open new directions in plasma physics, as well as integrating research and education in the continuing training of students and junior researchers. Previous group members have gone on to academic and permanent research positions, to advanced accelerator research, to careers in bioinformatics, and to the financial industry.

这项研究解决了关于宇宙中非热能起源的基本问题。旋转驱动的脉冲星是周围最迷人、最奇怪的致密天体之一，它涉及到表面磁场比地球强万亿倍的旋转中子星。在标准模型中，磁场的旋转产生巨大的电压，导致相对论加速的粒子束从恒星表面被提取出来，并沿着极地磁场流动，发出伽马射线，转化为电子和正电子。最近发现的双脉冲星双星系统提供了机会，利用来自快脉冲星的相对论风与慢脉冲星的磁层碰撞时产生的激波加热等离子体所形成的日食和辐射，来探测这种前所未有地接近源的相对论外流。同样的物理原理也适用于射电星系喷流末端的可见热点，以及伽马射线爆发源中的冲击波和余辉。该项目将使用流动的3D相对论磁流体动力学模拟、相对论激波的3D粒子单元模拟和分析建模来研究这一物理，以理解和推断模拟的结果。这些结果将应用于天体物理的其他领域，并将开辟等离子体物理的新方向，以及在学生和初级研究人员的继续培训中整合研究和教育。之前的小组成员曾担任学术和永久研究职位，高级加速器研究，生物信息学职业，以及金融行业。