Efficient micromirror confinement of sub-TeV cosmic rays in galaxy clusters

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Reichherzer, Patrick, Bott, Archie F. A., Ewart, Robert J., Gregori, Gianluca, Kempski, Philipp, Kunz, Matthew W., Schekochihin, Alexander A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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_version_ 1866909504609714176
author Reichherzer, Patrick
Bott, Archie F. A.
Ewart, Robert J.
Gregori, Gianluca
Kempski, Philipp
Kunz, Matthew W.
Schekochihin, Alexander A.
author_facet Reichherzer, Patrick
Bott, Archie F. A.
Ewart, Robert J.
Gregori, Gianluca
Kempski, Philipp
Kunz, Matthew W.
Schekochihin, Alexander A.
contents Cosmic rays (CRs) play a pivotal role in shaping the thermal and dynamical properties of astrophysical environments, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters. Recent observations suggest a stronger confinement of CRs in certain astrophysical systems than predicted by current CR-transport theories. Here, we show that the incorporation of microscale physics into CR-transport models can account for this enhanced CR confinement. We develop a theoretical description of the effect of magnetic microscale fluctuations originating from the mirror instability on macroscopic CR diffusion. We confirm our theory with large-dynamical-range simulations of CR transport in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters and kinetic simulations of CR transport in micromirror fields. We conclude that sub-TeV CR confinement in the ICM is far more effective than previously anticipated on the basis of Galactic-transport extrapolations. The transformative impact of micromirrors on CR diffusion provides insights into how microphysics can reciprocally affect macroscopic dynamics and observable structures across a range of astrophysical scales.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2311_01497
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Efficient micromirror confinement of sub-TeV cosmic rays in galaxy clusters
Reichherzer, Patrick
Bott, Archie F. A.
Ewart, Robert J.
Gregori, Gianluca
Kempski, Philipp
Kunz, Matthew W.
Schekochihin, Alexander A.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
Cosmic rays (CRs) play a pivotal role in shaping the thermal and dynamical properties of astrophysical environments, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters. Recent observations suggest a stronger confinement of CRs in certain astrophysical systems than predicted by current CR-transport theories. Here, we show that the incorporation of microscale physics into CR-transport models can account for this enhanced CR confinement. We develop a theoretical description of the effect of magnetic microscale fluctuations originating from the mirror instability on macroscopic CR diffusion. We confirm our theory with large-dynamical-range simulations of CR transport in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters and kinetic simulations of CR transport in micromirror fields. We conclude that sub-TeV CR confinement in the ICM is far more effective than previously anticipated on the basis of Galactic-transport extrapolations. The transformative impact of micromirrors on CR diffusion provides insights into how microphysics can reciprocally affect macroscopic dynamics and observable structures across a range of astrophysical scales.
title Efficient micromirror confinement of sub-TeV cosmic rays in galaxy clusters
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.01497