Speaker
Description
Jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are known for their intense X-ray and gamma-ray emission, originating from non-thermal particles. These sources are also linked to high-energy neutrino events and are considered potential sites of ultra-high-energy cosmic ray production. Accelerated particles can be generated in shock waves formed in collisionless AGN plasmas. We study oblique mildly relativistic shock waves of moderate and high magnetisation applicable to AGN jets by the use of Particle-In-Cell (PIC) 2D3V simulations. We analyse a previously unexplored range of magnetic field obliquity angles around the supercritical angle, which effectively divides the regimes of sub- and super-luminal shocks. We show that both superluminal and subluminal shocks at both magnetisations accelerate particles and that particle acceleration is more efficient at subluminal configurations. We discuss mechanisms of ion and electron energisation in different regimes of plasma magnetization and shock obliquity.
