By using particle-in-cell simulations, we study the collision of two plasma flows with one of them carrying a magnetic field. Ion interpenetration results in the formation of a magnetic piston with the magnetic field compression proportional to the density ratio of the colliding plasmas. The counterpropagating ions in the nonmagnetized plasma upstream from the piston excite the ion Weibel instability, which turns into magnetic turbulence. The thickness of the piston increases with time, and it turns into a reverse magnetized shock after less than one ion gyro period. In front of the piston, the time needed to decrease the nonmagnetized ion anisotropy using the magnetic turbulence is much larger than the ion gyroperiod in the piston. Consequently, particles are reflected by the piston, which acts as a wall initiating a transient phase. After several ion periods, the formation of this electromagnetic forward shock is, then, accelerated by the piston, and at large timescale, the dissipation of energy is eventually mediated only by the Weibel turbulence. We report here a new configuration of shocks, where a reverse magnetized and a forward electromagnetic shock coexist separated by a tangential discontinuity. Particle acceleration and heating in the two shock structures and relevance of this scenario of collisionless shock formation to laboratory experiments and astrophysical conditions are discussed.
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December 2020
Research Article|
December 16 2020
Mildly relativistic collisionless shock formed by magnetic piston
Q. Moreno
;
Q. Moreno
a)
1
ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences
, 25241 Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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A. Araudo
;
A. Araudo
1
ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences
, 25241 Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic
2
Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences
, 141 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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Ph. Korneev
;
Ph. Korneev
3
National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI,”
115409 Moscow, Russian Federation
4
P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
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C. K. Li;
C. K. Li
5
Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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V. T. Tikhonchuk
;
V. T. Tikhonchuk
1
ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences
, 25241 Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic
6
Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA
, 33405 Talence, France
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X. Ribeyre
;
X. Ribeyre
6
Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA
, 33405 Talence, France
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E. d'Humières;
E. d'Humières
6
Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA
, 33405 Talence, France
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S. Weber
S. Weber
1
ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences
, 25241 Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic
7
School of Science, Xian Jiaotong University
, Xian 710049, China
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Phys. Plasmas 27, 122106 (2020)
Article history
Received:
January 09 2020
Accepted:
November 14 2020
Citation
Q. Moreno, A. Araudo, Ph. Korneev, C. K. Li, V. T. Tikhonchuk, X. Ribeyre, E. d'Humières, S. Weber; Mildly relativistic collisionless shock formed by magnetic piston. Phys. Plasmas 1 December 2020; 27 (12): 122106. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5144683
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