Kinetic simulations of electron pre-energization by magnetized collisionless shocks in expanding laboratory plasmas

Collisionless shocks are common features in space and astrophysical systems that are believed to be responsible for acceleration of charged particles up to non-thermal energies. Recent experimental capabilities and diagnostics allow detailed laboratory investigations of high-Mach-number shocks [1], which therefore can become a valuable way to understand shock dynamics in various astrophysical environments. Using 2D particle-in-cell simulations with a Coulomb binary collision operator, we demonstrate the mechanism for generation of energetic electrons and experimental requirements for detecting this process in the laboratory high-Mach-number collisionless shocks at parameters that may be achieved in near future experiments [2].

[1] D. B. Schaeffer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 245001 (2019) [2] K. V. Lezhnin et al., ApJL 908, 52 (2021)