Efficient electron heating in relativistic shocks and gamma ray burst afterglow

M. Gedalin; M. A. Balikhin; D. Eichler

doi:10.1103/physreve.77.026403

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arXiv · 0709.3097

Efficient electron heating in relativistic shocks and gamma ray burst afterglow

M. Gedalin·M. A. Balikhin·D. Eichler

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Abstract

Electrons in shocks are efficiently energized due to the cross-shock potential, which develops because of differential deflection of electrons and ions by the magnetic field in the shock front. The electron energization is necessarily accompanied by scattering and thermalization. The mechanism is efficient in both magnetized and non-magnetized relativistic electron-ion shocks. It is proposed that the synchrotron emission from the heated electrons in a layer of strongly enhanced magnetic field is responsible for gamma ray burst afterglows.

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M. Gedalin, M. A. Balikhin, D. Eichler. 2007-12-01. Efficient electron heating in relativistic shocks and gamma ray burst afterglow. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.77.026403

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