Basic plasma processes in the termination shock in a striped pulsar wind

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25871054
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Particle/Nuclear/Cosmic ray/Astro physics; Plasma science
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Zenitani Seiji 国立天文台, 理論研究部, 特任助教 (10623952)
• Research Collaborator: SHINOHARA Iku 宇宙科学研究所, 学際科学研究系, 准教授 (20301723) ; NAGAI Tsugunobu 東京工業大学, 地球惑星科学, 教授 (60260527) ; UMEDA Takayuki 名古屋大学, 太陽地球環境研究所・統合データサイエンスセンター, 講師 (40432215) ; WADA Tomohide 筑波技術大学, 客員研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 磁気リコネクション / 衝撃波 / 磁気流体力学 / 相対論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted basic researches on magnetic reconnection and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shocks. We proposed a new definition of the central region of magnetic reconnection and then further discussed particle dynamics in the reconnection magnetic geometry. Next we organized a fundamental algorithm to deal with relativistically-moving plasma distribution in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. By using a relativistic PIC simulation, we studied the electromagnetic balance in the central region of relativistic magnetic reconnection. We also developed a shock-capturing MHD code, which is publicly available. We studied the interaction between magnetic reconnection and MHD shocks. We also proposed a new mechanism to explain gamma-ray flares in a Crab pulsar system, by using MHD simulations.

Free Research Field

宇宙プラズマ物理学