Spectrally resolved sky-map of electromagnetic radiation from the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability


Spectrally resolved sky-map of electromagnetic radiation from the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

Pausch, R.; Huebl, A.; Schmitt, F.; Burau, H.; Widera, R.; Pugmire, D.; Debus, A.; Juckeland, G.; Nagel, W.; Bussmann, M.

The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) occurs at the interface between two neutral streams of plasma flowing past one another with different velocities. This instability is expected to take place in active galactic nuclei or in the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts, where it is a possible mechanism for non-thermal radiation.
We present results of a KHI scenario with relativistic velocity shear obtained in a petaflop scale run on the TITAN cluster at Oakridge using our relativistic 3D3V particle-in-cell code PIConGPU. From the dynamics of billions of macroparticle, we calculated angularly and temporally resolved radiation spectra based on classical Liénard-Wiechert potentials including the full coherence properties. Thus, in addition to the incoherent synchrotron-type radiation arising from DC magnetic fields in the KHI, we found rich radiation signatures, which we match with the dynamics and electron density structure of the KHI. We present a simple model, which explains these spectral features and connects them to the main quantities of the KHI.

Keywords: PIConGPU; Kelvin-Helmholtz instability; KHI; radiation spectra

  • Lecture (Conference)
    78. DPG-Jahrestagung und Frühjahrstagung der Sektion AMOP, 17.-21.03.2014, Berlin, Deutschland

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-20211
Publ.-Id: 20211