title: Inductive and electrostatic acceleration in relativistic jet-plasma interactions.
abstract: We report on the observation of rapid particle acceleration in numerical simulations of relativistic jet-plasma interactions and discuss the underlying mechanisms. The dynamics of a charge-neutral, narrow, electron-positron jet propagating through an unmagnetized electron-ion plasma was investigated using a three-dimensional, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell computer code. The interaction excited magnetic filamentation as well as electrostatic plasma instabilities. In some cases, the longitudinal electric fields generated inductively and electrostatically reached the cold plasma-wave-breaking limit, and the longitudinal momentum of about half the positrons increased by 50% with a maximum gain exceeding a factor of 2 during the simulation period. Particle acceleration via these mechanisms occurred when the criteria for Weibel instability were satisfied.
authors.affiliation: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94309, USA.
authors.forename: Johnny S T
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Noble