title: Electromagnetic field generation in the downstream of electrostatic shocks due to electron trapping.
abstract: A new magnetic field generation mechanism in electrostatic shocks is found, which can produce fields with magnetic energy density as high as 0.01 of the kinetic energy density of the flows on time scales ∼10(4)ωpe-1. Electron trapping during the shock formation process creates a strong temperature anisotropy in the distribution function, giving rise to the pure Weibel instability. The generated magnetic field is well confined to the downstream region of the electrostatic shock. The shock formation process is not modified, and the features of the shock front responsible for ion acceleration, which are currently probed in laser-plasma laboratory experiments, are maintained. However, such a strong magnetic field determines the particle trajectories downstream and has the potential to modify the signatures of the collisionless shock.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik, Lehrstuhl IV: Weltraum- und Astrophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany and GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear-Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stockem
authors.affiliation: GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear-Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grismayer
authors.affiliation: GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear-Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal and ISCTE Instituto Universitário Lisboa, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear-Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Silva