Jebaraj, I.C. orcid.org/0000-0002-0606-7172, Agapitov, O.V. orcid.org/0000-0001-6427-1596, Gedalin, M. orcid.org/0000-0003-1236-4787 et al. (22 more authors) (2024) Direct measurements of synchrotron-emitting electrons at near-sun shocks. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 976 (1). L7. ISSN 2041-8205
Abstract
In this study, we present the first-ever direct measurements of synchrotron-emitting heliospheric traveling shocks, intercepted by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) during its close encounters. Given that much of our understanding of powerful astrophysical shocks is derived from synchrotron radiation, these observations by PSP provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore how shocks accelerate relativistic electrons and the conditions under which they emit radiation. The probe’s unparalleled capabilities to measure both electromagnetic fields and energetic particles with high precision in the near-Sun environment has allowed us to directly correlate the distribution of relativistic electrons with the resulting photon emissions. Our findings reveal that strong quasi-parallel shocks emit radiation at significantly higher intensities than quasi-perpendicular shocks due to the efficient acceleration of ultrarelativistic electrons. These experimental results are consistent with theory and recent observations of supernova remnant shocks and advance our understanding of shock physics across diverse space environments.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Interplanetary shocks; Shocks; Non-thermal radiation sources; Solar radio emission; Radio continuum emission; Radio sources; Solar coronal mass ejection shocks; Solar particle emission |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 18 Nov 2024 16:44 |
Last Modified: | 18 Nov 2024 16:44 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad8eb8 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Astronomical Society |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3847/2041-8213/ad8eb8 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:219794 |