Numerical modeling and physical interplay of stochastic turbulent acceleration for nonthermal emission processes

Abstract

Particle acceleration is a ubiquitous phenomenon in astrophysical and space plasma. Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) and stochastic turbulent acceleration (STA) are known to be the possible mechanisms for producing very highly energetic particles, particularly in weakly magnetized regions. An interplay of different acceleration processes along with various radiation losses is typically observed in astrophysical sources. While DSA is a systematic acceleration process that energizes particles in the vicinity of shocks, STA is a random energizing process, where the interaction between cosmic ray particles and electromagnetic fluctuations results in particle acceleration. This process is usually interpreted as a biased random walk in energy space, modeled through a Fokker-Planck equation. In the present work, we describe a novel Eulerian algorithm, adopted to incorporate turbulent acceleration in the presence of DSA and radiative processes like synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. The developed framework extends the hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian module in a full-fledged relativistic Magneto-hydrodynamic (RMHD) code PLUTO. From our validation tests and case studies, we showcase the competing and complementary nature of both acceleration processes. Axisymmetric simulations of an RMHD jet with this extended hybrid framework clearly demonstrate that emission due to shocks is localized, while that due to turbulent acceleration originates in the backflow and is more diffuse, particularly in the high-energy X-ray band. © 2021 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.