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To study the dynamics of relativistic flows in astrophysical objects such as radio jets, we have developed a new special relativistic hydrodynamic (RHD) code based on the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme, a high-order finite difference scheme. The code includes different WENO versions, and high-order time integration methods such as the 4th-order accurate Runge-Kutta (RK4) and strong stability preserving RK (SSPRK), as well as the equations of state (EOSs) that closely approximate the EOS of the single-component perfect gas in relativistic regime. Additionally, it is optimized for the reproduction of complex structures in multi-dimensional flows, and implements a modification of eigenvalues for the acoustic modes to effectively control carbuncle instability. As the first application of the code, we have simulated ultra-relativistic jets of FR II radio galaxies, and studied the nonlinear flow structures, such as shocks, velocity shear, and turbulence, through large-scale.

Observations of large-scale radio emissions prove the existence of shock accelerated cosmic-ray electrons in galaxy clusters, while the lack of detected $\gamma$-rays limits the acceleration of cosmic-ray protons in galaxy clusters. This challenges our understanding of how diffusive shock acceleration works. In this work, we couple the most updated recipes for shock acceleration in the intracluster medium to state-of-the-art magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of massive galaxy clusters. Furthermore, we use passive tracer particles to follow the evolution of accelerated cosmic-rays. We show that when the interplay between magnetic field topology and the feedback from accelerated cosmic rays is taken into account, the latest developments of particle acceleration theory give results which are compatible with observational constraints., Comment: published by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 6 pages, 4 figures

Cosmology models predict that external accretion shocks form in the outer region of galaxy clusters due to supersonic gas infall from filaments and voids in the cosmic web. They are characterized by high sonic and Alfv\'enic Mach numbers, $M_s\sim10-10^2$ and $M_A\sim10^2-10^3$, and propagate into weakly magnetized plasmas of $\beta\equiv P_g/P_B\gtrsim10^2$. Although strong accretion shocks are expected to be efficient accelerators of cosmic rays (CRs), nonthermal signatures of shock-accelerated CRs around clusters have not been confirmed, and detailed acceleration physics at such shocks has yet to be understood. In this study, we first establish through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that at strong high-$\beta$ shocks electrons can be pre-energized via stochastic Fermi acceleration owing to the ion-Weibel instability in the shock transition region, possibly followed by injection into diffusive shock acceleration. Hence, we propose that the models derived from conventional thermal leakage injection may be employed for the acceleration of electrons and ions at accretion shocks as well. Applying these analytic models to numerical shock zones identified in structure formation simulations, we estimate nonthermal radiation, such as synchrotron and inverse-Compton (IC) emission due to CR electrons, and $\pi^0$-decay $\gamma$-rays due to CR protons, around simulated clusters. Our models with the injection parameter, $Q\approx3.5-3.8$, predict synthetic synchrotron maps, which seem consistent with recent radio observations of the Coma cluster. However, the detection of nonthermal IC X-rays and $\gamma$-rays from accretion shocks would be quite challenging. We suggest that the proposed analytic models may be adopted as generic recipes for CR production at cosmological shocks., Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures

Radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters imply the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) of electrons at merger-driven shocks with Mach number $M_{s}\lesssim3-4$ in the intracluster medium (ICM). Recent studies have suggested that electron preacceleration and injection, prerequisite steps for DSA, could occur at supercritical shocks with $M_{s}\gtrsim2.3$ in the ICM, thanks to the generation of multiscale waves by microinstabilities such as the Alfv\'en ion cyclotron (AIC) instability, the electron firehose instability (EFI), and the whistler instability (WI). On the other hand, some relics are observed to have subcritical shocks with $M_{s}\lesssim2.3$, leaving DSA at such weak shocks as an outstanding problem. Reacceleration of preexisting nonthermal electrons has been contemplated as one of possible solutions for that puzzle. To explore this idea, we perform Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations for weak quasi-perpendicular shocks in high-$\beta$ ($\beta=P_{\rm gas}/P_{B}$) plasmas with power-law suprathermal electrons in addition to Maxwellian thermal electrons. We find that suprathermal electrons enhance the excitation of electron-scale waves via the EFI and WI. However, they do not affect the ion reflection and the ensuing generation of ion-scale waves via the AIC instability. The presence of ion-scale waves is the key for the preacceleration of electrons up to the injection momentum, thus the shock criticality condition for electron injection to DSA is preserved. Based on the results, we conclude that preexisting nonthermal electrons in the preshock region alone would not resolve the issue of electron preacceleration at subcritical ICM shocks., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, to appear in ApJ

In an attempt to investigate the structures of ultra-relativistic jets injected into the intracluster medium (ICM) and the associated flow dynamics, such as shocks, velocity shear, and turbulence, we have developed a new special relativistic hydrodynamic (RHD) code in the Cartesian coordinates, based on the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme. It is a finite difference scheme of high spatial accuracy, which has been widely employed for solving hyperbolic systems of conservation equations. The code is equipped with different WENO versions, such as the 5th-order accurate WENO-JS (Jiang & Shu 1996), WENO-Z, and WENO-ZA, and different time integration methods, such as the 4th-order accurate Runge-Kutta (RK4) and strong stability preserving RK (SSPRK), as well as the implementation of the equations of state (EOSs) that closely approximate the EOS of the single-component perfect gas in relativistic regime. In addition, it incorporates a high-order accurate averaging of fluxes along the transverse directions to enhance the accuracy of multi-dimensional problems, and a modification of eigenvalues for the acoustic modes to effectively control the carbuncle instability. Through extensive numerical tests, we assess the accuracy and robustness of the code, and choose WENO-Z, SSPRK, and the EOS suggested in Ryu et al. (2006) as the fiducial setup for simulations of ultra-relativistic jets. The results of our study of ultra-relativistic jets using the code is reported in an accompanying paper (Seo et al. 2021, Paper II)., 21 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Radio relics associated with merging galaxy clusters indicate the acceleration of relativistic electrons in merger-driven shocks with low sonic Mach numbers ($M_{\rm s}\lesssim 3$) in the intracluster medium (ICM). Recent studies have suggested that electron injection to diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) could take place through the so-called Fermi-like acceleration in the shock foot of $\beta=P_{\rm gas}/P_{\rm B}\approx 20-100$ shocks and the stochastic shock drift acceleration (SSDA) in the shock transition of $\beta\approx 1-5$ shocks. Here we explore how the SSDA can facilitate electron preacceleration in weak quasi-perpendicular ($Q_{\perp}$) shocks in $\beta\approx 20-100$ plasmas by performing particle-in-cell simulations in the two-dimensional domain large enough to encompass ion-scale waves. We find that in supercritical shocks with $M_{\rm s}\gtrsim M_{\rm AIC}^*\sim 2.3$, multi-scale waves are excited by the ion and electron temperature anisotropies in the downstream of the shock ramp, and that through stochastic pitch-angle scattering off the induced waves, electrons are confined in the shock transition for an extended period. Gaining energy through the gradient-drift along the motional electric field, electrons could be preaccelerated all the way to injection to DSA at such ICM shocks. Our findings imply that the electron DSA process at weak ICM shocks could explain the origin of radio relics. However, a further investigation of electron acceleration at subcritical shocks with $M_{\rm s}< 2.3$ is called for, since the Mach numbers of some observed radio relic shocks derived from radio or X-ray observations are as low as $M_{\rm s}\sim 1.5$., Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, to appear in ApJ

Observations indicate that turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM) is supersonic ($M_{\rm turb}\gg1$) and strongly magnetized ($\beta\sim0.01-1$), while in the intracluster medium (ICM) it is subsonic ($M_{\rm turb}\lesssim1$) and weakly magnetized ($\beta\sim100$). Here, $M_{\rm turb}$ is the turbulent Mach number and $\beta$ is the plasma beta. We study the properties of shocks induced in these disparate environments, including the distribution of the shock Mach number, $M_s$, and the dissipation of the turbulent energy at shocks, through numerical simulations using a high-order accurate code based on the WENO scheme. In particular, we investigate the effects of different modes of the forcing that drives turbulence: solenoidal, compressive, and a mixture of the two. In the ISM turbulence, while the density distribution looks different with different forcings, the velocity power spectrum, $P_v$, on small scales exhibits only weak dependence. Hence, the statistics of shocks depend weakly on forcing either. In the ISM models with $M_{\rm turb}\approx10$ and $\beta\sim0.1$, the fraction of the turbulent energy dissipated at shocks is estimated to be $\sim15~\%$, not sensitive to the forcing mode. In contrast, in the ICM turbulence, $P_v$ as well as the density distribution show strong dependence on forcing. The frequency and average Mach number of shocks are greater for compressive forcing than for solenoidal forcing, so is the energy dissipation. The fraction of ensuing shock dissipation is in the range of $\sim10-35~\%$ in the ICM models with $M_{\rm turb}\approx0.5$ and $\beta\sim10^6$. The rest of the turbulent energy should be dissipated through turbulent cascade., Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Ultra-low frequency observations (, 15 pages, 19 figures, accepted A&A

Although a merging galaxy cluster is a useful laboratory to study many important astrophysical processes and fundamental physics, only limited interpretations are possible without careful analysis of the merger scenario. However, the study is demanding because a thorough comparison of multi-wavelength observations with detailed numerical simulations is required. In this paper, we present such a study for the off-axis binary merger A115. The system possesses a number of remarkable observational features, but no convincing merger scenario, explaining the shape and location of the radio relic in harmony with the orientation of the cometary X-ray tails, has been presented. Our hydrodynamical simulation, with adaptive mesh refinement, suggests that the cometary X-ray tail of A115 might be a slingshot tail and can arise $\sim0.3$ Gyrs after the impact and before the two subclusters reach their apocenters. This scenario can predict the location and orientation of the giant radio relic, which is parallel to the northern X-ray tail. In addition, our study indicates that diffusive shock acceleration alone cannot generate the observed radio power unless aided by stronger magnetic fields and/or more significant presence of fossil electrons., 14 pages, 11 figures, ApJ in press

We present deep Chandra observations of A3411-12, a remarkable merging cluster that hosts the most compelling evidence for electron re-acceleration at cluster shocks to date. Using the $Y_X-M$ scaling relation, we find $r_{500} \sim 1.3$ Mpc, $M_{500} = (7.1 \pm 0.7) \times 10^{14} \ M_{\rm{\odot}}$, $kT=6.5\pm 0.1$ keV, and a gas mass of $M_{\rm g,500} = (9.7 \pm 0.1) \times 10^{13} M_\odot$. The gas mass fraction within $r_{500}$ is $f_{\rm g} = 0.14 \pm 0.01$. We compute the shock strength using density jumps to conclude that the Mach number of the merging subcluster is small ($M \leq 1.15_{-0.09}^{+0.14}$). We also present pseudo-density, projected temperature, pseudo-pressure, and pseudo-entropy maps. Based on the pseudo-entropy map we conclude that the cluster is undergoing a mild merger, consistent with the small Mach number. On the other hand, radio relics extend over Mpc scale in the A3411-12 system, which strongly suggests that a population of energetic electrons already existed over extended regions of the cluster., Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

We study the structures of ultra-relativistic jets injected into the intracluster medium (ICM) and the associated flow dynamics, such as shocks, velocity shear, and turbulence, through three-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations. To that end, we have developed a high-order accurate RHD code, equipped with a weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme and a realistic equation of state (Seo et al. 2021, Paper I). Using the code, we explore a set of jet models with the parameters relevant to FR-II radio galaxies. We confirm that the overall jet morphology is primarily determined by the jet power, and the jet-to-background density and pressure ratios play secondary roles. Jets with higher powers propagate faster, resulting in more elongated structures, while those with lower powers produce more extended cocoons. Shear interfaces in the jet are dynamically unstable, and hence, chaotic structures with shocks and turbulence develop. We find that the fraction of the jet-injected energy dissipated through shocks and turbulence is greater in less powerful jets, although the actual amount of the dissipated energy is larger in more powerful jets. In lower power jets, the backflow is dominant in the energy dissipation owing to the broad cocoon filled with shocks and turbulence. In higher power jets, by contrast, both the backflow and jet spine flow are important for the energy dissipation. Our results imply that different mechanisms, such as diffusive shock acceleration, shear acceleration, and stochastic turbulent acceleration, may be involved in the production of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in FR-II radio galaxies., 27 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

We explore the shock acceleration model for giant radio relics, in which relativistic electrons are accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) by merger-driven shocks in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. In addition to DSA, turbulent acceleration by compressive MHD mode downstream of the shock is included as well as energy losses of postshock electrons by Coulomb scattering, synchrotron emission, and inverse Compton scattering off the cosmic background radiation. Considering that only a small fraction of merging clusters host radio relics, we favor the reacceleration scenario in which radio relics are generated preferentially when shocks encounter the regions containing low-energy ($\gamma_{\rm e} \lesssim 300$) cosmic ray electrons (CRe). We perform time-dependent DSA simulations of spherically expanding shocks with physical parameters relevant for the Sausage radio relic, and calculate the radio synchrotron emission from the accelerated CRe. We find that significant level of postshock turbulent acceleration is required in order to reproduce broad profiles of the observed radio flux densities of the Sausage relic. Moreover, the spectral curvature in the observed integrated radio spectrum can be explained, if the putative shock should have swept up and exited out of the preshock region of fossil CRe about 10~Myr ago., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures

We examine the cosmic-ray protons (CRp) accelerated at collisionless shocks in galaxy clusters using cosmological structure formation simulations. We find that in the intracluster medium (ICM) within the virial radius of simulated clusters, only $\sim7$\% of shock kinetic energy flux is dissipated by the shocks that are expected to accelerate CRp, that is, supercritical, quasi-parallel ($Q_\parallel$) shocks with sonic Mach number $M_s\ge2.25$. The rest is dissipated at subcritical shocks and quasi-perpendicular shocks, both of which may not accelerate CRp. Adopting the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model recently presented in Ryu et al. (2019), we quantify the DSA of CRp in simulated clusters. The average fraction of the shock kinetic energy transferred to CRp via DSA is assessed at $\sim(1-2)\times10^{-4}$. We also examine the energization of CRp through reacceleration using a model based on the test-particle solution. Assuming that the ICM plasma passes through shocks three times on average through the history of the universe and that CRp are reaccelerated only at supercritical $Q_\parallel$-shocks, the CRp spectrum flattens by $\sim0.05-0.1$ in slope and the total amount of CRp energy increases by $\sim40-80$\% from reacceleration. We then estimate diffuse $\gamma$-ray and neutrino emissions, resulting from inelastic collisions between CRp and thermal protons. The predicted $\gamma$-ray emissions from simulated clusters lie mostly below the upper limits set by Fermi-LAT for observed clusters. The neutrino fluxes towards nearby clusters would be $\lesssim10^{-4}$ of the IceCube flux at $E_{\nu}=1$ PeV and $\lesssim10^{-6}$ of the atmospheric neutrino flux in the energy range of $E_{\nu}\leq1$ TeV., Comment: submitted to ApJ; revised by including reacceleration

A high concentration of ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events, called a hotspot, was reported by the Telescope Array (TA) experiment, but its origin still remains unsolved. One of the obstacles is that there is no astronomical object, which could be the source, behind the TA hotpot. In an effort to understand the origin of the TA hotspot, we suggested a model based on the magnetized cosmic web structure. The UHECRs were produced from sources in the Virgo cluster and were initially confined by cluster magnetic fields for a certain period. Next, some of them preferentially escaped to and propagated along filaments. Eventually, they were scattered by filament magnetic fields, and come to us. To examine the model, we followed the propagation trajectories of UHE protons in a simulated universe with clusters, filaments, and voids, by employing a number of models for cosmic magnetic fields. In this study, we present some of the initial results, such as the ratio between the particles directly escaping from the clusters to the voids and particles escaping from the clusters to the filaments. We also discuss the feasibility of our model for the origin of the hotspot by examining the trajectories of the UHE protons., 8 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2019), July 24th - August 1st, Madison, WI, USA

In a growing number of galaxy clusters diffuse extended radio sources have been found. These sources are not directly associated with individual cluster galaxies. The radio emission reveal the presence of cosmic rays and magnetic fields in the intracluster medium (ICM). We classify diffuse cluster radio sources into radio halos, cluster radio shocks (relics), and revived AGN fossil plasma sources. Radio halo sources can be further divided into giant halos, mini-halos, and possible `intermediate' sources. Halos are generally positioned at cluster center and their brightness approximately follows the distribution of the thermal ICM. Cluster radio shocks (relics) are polarized sources mostly found in the cluster's periphery. They trace merger induced shock waves. Revived fossil plasma sources are characterized by their radio steep-spectra and often irregular morphologies. In this review we give an overview of the properties of diffuse cluster radio sources, with an emphasis on recent observational results. We discuss the resulting implications for the underlying physical acceleration processes that operate in the ICM, the role of relativistic fossil plasma, and the properties of ICM shocks and magnetic fields. We also compile an updated list of diffuse cluster radio sources which will be available on-line http://galaxyclusters.com. We end this review with a discussion on the detection of diffuse radio emission from the cosmic web., To appear in Space Science Reviews, 56 pages, 31 figures; For associated data see http://galaxyclusters.com

Filaments of galaxies, connected to the Virgo Cluster, around the TA hotspot, may be a clue for the origin of hotspot UHECRs., Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are known to come from outside of our Galaxy, but their origin still remains unknown. The Telescope Array (TA) experiment recently identified a hotspot, that is, a high concentration of anisotropic arrival directions of UHECRs with energies above 5.7 Å ~ 1019 eV. We report here the presence of filaments of galaxies, connected to the Virgo Cluster, in the sky around the hotspot and a statistically significant correlation between hotspot events and the filaments. With 5-year TA data, the maximum significance of binomial statistics for the correlation is estimated to be 6.1σ at correlation angle 3.4°. The probability that the above significance appears by chance is ~2.0 × 10−8 (5.6σ). On the basis of this finding, we suggest a model for the origin of TA hotspot UHECRs; they are produced at sources in the Virgo Cluster, and escape to and propagate along filaments, before they are scattered toward us. This picture requires the filament magnetic fields of strength ≳ 20 nG, which need to be confirmed in future observations.

Giant radio relics in the outskirts of galaxy clusters are known to be lit up by the relativistic electrons produced via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in shocks with low sonic Mach numbers, $M_{\rm s}\lesssim3$. The particle acceleration at these collisionless shocks critically depends on the kinetic plasma processes that govern the injection to DSA. Here, we study the preacceleration of suprathermal electrons in weak, quasi-perpendicular ($Q_\perp$) shocks in the hot, high-$\beta$ ($\beta = P_{\rm gas}/P_{\rm B}$) intracluster medium (ICM) through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. \citet{guo2014a,guo2014b} showed that in high-$\beta$ $Q_\perp$-shocks, some of incoming electrons could be reflected upstream and gain energy via shock drift acceleration (SDA). The temperature anisotropy due to the SDA-energized electrons then induces the electron firehose instability (EFI), and oblique waves are generated, leading to a Fermi-like process and multiple cycles of SDA in the preshock region. We find that such electron preacceleration is effective only in shocks above a critical Mach number $M_{\rm ef}^*\approx2.3$. This means that in ICM plasmas, $Q_\perp$-shocks with $M_{\rm s}\lesssim2.3$ may not efficiently accelerate electrons. We also find that even in $Q_\perp$-shocks with $M_{\rm s}\gtrsim2.3$, electrons may not reach high enough energies to be injected to the full Fermi-I process of DSA, because long-wavelength waves are not developed via the EFI alone. Our results indicate that additional electron preaccelerations are required for DSA in ICM shocks, and the presence of fossil relativistic electrons in the shock upstream region may be necessary to explain observed radio relics., Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures

Low sonic Mach number shocks form in the intracluster medium (ICM) during the formation of the large-scale structure of the universe. Nonthermal cosmic-ray (CR) protons are expected to be accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in those ICM shocks, although observational evidence for the $\gamma$-ray emission of hadronic origin from galaxy clusters has yet to be established. Considering the results obtained from recent plasma simulations, we improve the analytic test-particle DSA model for weak quasi-parallel ($Q_\parallel$) shocks, previously suggested by \citet{kang2010}. In the model CR spectrum, the transition from the postshock thermal to CR populations occurs at the injection momentum, $p_{\rm inj}$, above which protons can undergo the full DSA process. As the shock energy is transferred to CR protons, the postshock gas temperature should decrease accordingly and the subshock strength weakens due to the dynamical feed of the CR pressure to the shock structure. This results in the reduction of the injection fraction, although the postshock CR pressure approaches an asymptotic value when the CR spectrum extends to the relativistic regime. Our new DSA model self-consistently accounts for such behaviors and adopts better estimations for $p_{\rm inj}$. With our model DSA spectrum, the CR acceleration efficiency ranges $\eta\sim10^{-3}-0.01$ for supercritical, $Q_\parallel$-shocks with sonic Mach number $2.25\lesssim M_{\rm s}\lesssim5$ in the ICM. Based on \citet{ha2018b}, on the other hand, we argue that proton acceleration would be negligible in subcritical shocks with $M_{\rm s}, Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ

Microinstabilities play important roles in both entropy generation and particle acceleration in collisionless shocks. Recent studies have suggested that in the transition zone of quasi-perpendicular ($Q_{\perp}$) shocks in the high-beta ($\beta=P_{\rm gas}/P_{\rm B}$) intracluster medium (ICM), the ion temperature anisotropy due to the reflected-gyrating ions could trigger the Alfv\'en ion cyclotron (AIC) instability and the ion-mirror instability, while the electron temperature anisotropy induced by magnetic field compression could excite the whistler instability and the electron-mirror instability. Adopting the numerical estimates for ion and electron temperature anisotropies found in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of $Q_{\perp}$-shocks with sonic Mach numbers, $M_{\rm s}=2-3$, we carry out a linear stability analysis for these microinstabilities. The kinetic properties of the microinstabilities and the ensuing plasma waves on both ion and electron scales are described for wide ranges of parameters, including the dependence on $\beta$ and the ion-to-electron mass ratio. In addition, the nonlinear evolution of induced plasma waves are examined by performing 2D PIC simulations with periodic boundary conditions. We find that for $\beta\approx 20-100$, the AIC instability could induce ion-scale waves and generate shock surface ripples in supercritical shocks above the AIC critical Mach number, $M_{\rm AIC}^{*} \approx 2.3$. Also electron-scale waves are generated primarily by the whistler instability in these high-$\beta$ shocks. The resulting multi-scale waves from electron to ion scales are thought to be essential in electron injection to the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism in $Q_{\perp}$-shocks in the ICM., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures

Starburst galaxies (SBGs) with copious massive stars and supernova (SN) explosions are the sites of active cosmic-ray production. Based on the predictions of nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration theory, we model the cosmic-ray proton (CRP) production by both pre-SN stellar winds (SWs) and supernova remnants (SNRs) from core-collapse SNe inside the starburst nucleus. Adopting different models for the transport of CRPs, we estimate the $\gamma$-ray and neutrino emissions due to $pp$ collisions from nearby SBGs such as M82, NGC253, and Arp220. We find that with the current $\gamma$-rays observations by Fermi-LAT, Veritas, and H.E.S.S., it would be difficult to constrain CRP production and transport models. Yet, the observations are better reproduced with (1) the combination of the single power-law (PL) momentum distribution for SNR-produced CRPs and the diffusion model in which the CRP diffusion is mediated by the strong Kolmogorov-type turbulence of $\delta B/B\sim1$, and (2) the combination of the double PL model for SNR-produced CRPs and the diffusion model in which the scattering of CRPs is controlled mostly by self-excited waves rather than the pre-existing turbulence. The contribution of SW-produced CRPs could be substantial in Arp220, where the star formation rate is higher and the slope of the initial mass function would be flatter. We suggest that M82 and NGC253 might be detectable as point sources of high-energy neutrinos in the upcoming KM3NET and IceCube-Gen2, when optimistic models are applied. Future observations of neutrinos as well as $\gamma$-rays would provide constraints for the production and diffusion of CRPs in SBGs., Comment: To appear in ApJ

Non-detection of $\gamma$-ray emission from galaxy clusters has challenged diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) of cosmic-ray (CR) protons at weak collisionless shocks that are expected to form in the intracluster medium. As an effort to address this problem, we here explore possible roles of Alfv\'en waves self-excited via resonant streaming instability during the CR acceleration at parallel shocks. The mean drift of Alfv\'en waves may either increase or decrease the scattering center compression ratio, depending on the postshock cross-helicity, leading to either flatter or steeper CR spectra. We first examine such effects at planar shocks, based on the transport of Alfv\'en waves in the small amplitude limit. For the shock parameters relevant to cluster shocks, Alfv\'enic drift flattens the CR spectrum slightly, resulting in a small increase of the CR acceleration efficiency, $\eta$. We then consider two additional, physically motivated cases: (1) postshock waves are isotropized via MHD and plasma processes across the shock transition and (2) postshock waves contain only forward waves propagating along with the flow due to a possible gradient of CR pressure behind the shock. In these cases, Alfv\'enic drift could reduce $\eta$ by as much as a factor of 5 for weak cluster shocks. For the canonical parameters adopted here, we suggest $\eta\sim10^{-4}-10^{-2}$ for shocks with sonic Mach number $M_{\rm s}\approx2-3$. The possible reduction of $\eta$ may help ease the tension between non-detection of $\gamma$-rays from galaxy clusters and DSA predictions., Comment: submitted to ApJ

Most high energy cosmic rays (CRs) are thought to be produced by diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in supernova remnants (SNRs) within the Galaxy. Plasma and MHD simulations have shown that the self-excitation of MHD waves and amplification of magnetic fields via plasma instabilities are an integral part of DSA for strong collisionless shocks. In this study we explore how plasma processes such as plasma instabilities and wave-particle interactions can affect the energy spectra of CR protons and electrons, using time-dependent DSA simulations of SNR shocks. We demonstrate that the time-dependent evolution of the shock dynamics, the self-amplified magnetic fields and Alfvenic drift govern the highest energy end of the CR energy spectra. As a result, the spectral cutoffs in nonthermal X-ray and γ-ray radiation spectra are regulated by the evolution of the highest energy particles, which are injected at the early phase of SNRs. We also find that the maximum energy of CR protons can be boosted significantly only if the scale height of the magnetic field precursor is long enough to contain the diffusion lengths of the particles of interests. Thus, detailed understandings of nonlinear wave-particle interactions and time-dependent DSA simulations are crucial for understanding the nonthermal radiation from CR acceleration sources.

In Kang (2015) we calculated the acceleration of cosmic-ray electrons and the ensuing radio synchrotron emission at weak spherical shocks that are expected to form in the outskirts of galaxy clusters.There we demonstrated that, at decelerating spherical shocks, the volume integrated spectra of both electrons and radiation deviate significantly from the test-particle power-laws predicted for constant planar shocks, because the shock compression ratio and the flux of injected electrons decrease in time. In this study, we consider spherical blast waves propagating into a constant density core surrounded by an isothermal halo with a decreasing density profile in order to explore how the deceleration rate of the shock speed affects the radio emission from accelerated electrons. The surface brightness profile and the volume-integrated radio spectrum of the model shocks are calculated by assuming a ribbon-like shock surface on a spherical shell and the associated downstream region of relativistic electrons. If the postshock magnetic field strength is about 7 microgauss, at the shock age of ~50 Myr, the volume-integrated radio spectrum steepens gradually with the spectral index from alpha_{inj} to alpha_{inj}+0.5 over 0.1-10 GHz, where alpha_{inj} is the injection index at the shock positionexpected from the diffusive shock acceleration theory. Such gradual steepening could explain the curved radio spectrum of the radio relic in cluster A2266, which was interpreted as a broken power-law by Trasatti et al. (2014), if the relic shock is young enough so that the break frequency falls in around 1 GHz., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Korean Astronomical Society

According to structure formation simulations, weak shocks with typical Mach number, $M_{\rm s}\lesssim 3$, are expected to form in merging galaxy clusters. The presence of such shocks has been indicated by X-ray and radio observations of many merging clusters. In particular, diffuse radio sources known as radio relics could be explained by synchrotron-emitting electrons accelerated via diffusive shock acceleration (Fermi I) at quasi-perpendicular shocks. Here we also consider possible roles of stochastic acceleration (Fermi II) by compressive MHD turbulence downstream of the shock. Then we explore a puzzling discrepancy that for some radio relics, the shock Mach number inferred from the radio spectral index is substantially larger than that estimated from X-ray observations. This problem could be understood, if shock surfaces associated with radio relics consist of multiple shocks with different strengths.In that case, X-ray observations tend to pick up the part of shocks with lower Mach numbers and higher kinetic energy flux, while radio emissions come preferentially from the part of shocks with higher Mach numbers and higher cosmic ray (CR) production. We also show that the Fermi I reacceleration model with preexisting fossil electrons supplemented by Fermi II acceleration due to postshock turbulence could reproduce observed profiles of radio flux densities and integrated radio spectra of two giant radio relics. This study demonstrates the CR electrons can be accelerated at collisionless shocks in galaxy clusters just like supernova remnant shock in the interstellar medium and interplanetary shocks in the solar wind., 8 pages, 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Busan, Korea

X-ray shocks and radio relics detected in the cluster outskirts are commonly interpreted as shocks induced by mergers of sub-clumps. We study the properties of merger shocks in merging galaxy clusters, using a set of cosmological simulations for the large-scale structure formation of the universe. As a representative case, we here focus on the simulated clusters that undergo almost head-on collisions with mass ratio $\sim2$. Due to the turbulent nature of the intracluster medium, shock surfaces are not smooth, but composed of shocks with different Mach numbers. As the merger shocks expand outward from the core to the outskirts, the average Mach number, $\left$, increases in time. We suggest that the shocks propagating along the merger axis could be manifested as X-ray shocks and/or radio relics. The kinetic energy through the shocks, $F_\phi$, peaks at $\sim1$ Gyr after their initial launching, or at $\sim1-2$ Mpc from the core. Because of the Mach number dependent model adopted here for the cosmic ray (CR) acceleration efficiency, their CR-energy-weighted Mach number is higher with $\left< M_s \right>_{\rm CR}\sim3-4$, compared to the kinetic-energy-weighted Mach number, $\left_{\phi}\sim2-3$. Most energetic shocks are to be found ahead of the lighter dark matter (DM) clump, while the heavier DM clump is located in the opposite side of clusters. Although our study is limited to the merger case considered, the results such as the means and variations of shock properties and their time evolution could be compared with the observed characteristics of merger shocks, constraining interpretations of relevant observations., Comment: submitted to ApJ

Cosmological hydrodynamic simulations have demonstrated that shock waves could be produced in the intergalactic medium by supersonic flow motions during the course of hierarchical clustering of the large-scale-structure in the Universe. Similar to interplanetary shocks and supernova remnants (SNRs), these structure formation shocks can accelerate cosmic ray (CR) protons and electrons via diffusive shock acceleration. External accretion shocks, which form in the outermost surfaces of nonlinear structures, are as strong as SNR shocks and could be potential accelerations sites for high energy CR protons up to $10^{18}$ eV. But it could be difficult to detect their signatures due to extremely low kinetic energy flux associated with those accretion shocks. On the other hand, radiative features of internal shocks in the hot intracluster medium have been identified as temperature and density discontinuities in X-ray observations and diffuse radio emission from accelerated CR electrons. However, the non-detection of gamma-ray emission from galaxy clusters due to $\pi^0$ decay still remains to be an outstanding problem., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, Proceedings for Cosmic Ray Origin - Beyond the Standard Model, San Vito, 2016

Nature Astronomy 1, 0005 (2017); published 4 January 2017; corrected 13 January 2017. In the version of this Letter originally published Marcus Bruggen's name was spelled incorrectly. This has been corrected in the HTML version of the Letter.

On the largest scales, the Universe consists of voids and filaments making up the cosmic web. Galaxy clusters are located at the knots in this web, at the intersection of filaments. Clusters grow through accretion from these large-scale filaments and by mergers with other clusters and groups. In a growing number of galaxy clusters, elongated Mpc-size radio sources have been found, so-called radio relics. These relics are thought to trace relativistic electrons in the intracluster plasma accelerated by low-Mach number collisionless shocks generated by cluster-cluster merger events. A long-standing problem is how low-Mach number shocks can accelerate electrons so efficiently to explain the observed radio relics. Here we report on the discovery of a direct connection between a radio relic and a radio galaxy in the merging galaxy cluster Abell 3411-3412. This discovery indicates that fossil relativistic electrons from active galactic nuclei are re-accelerated at cluster shocks. It also implies that radio galaxies play an important role in governing the non-thermal component of the intracluster medium in merging clusters., Comment: Published in Nature Astronomy on Jan 4, 2017

Nonthermal radiation from supernova remnants (SNRs) provides observational evidence and constraints on the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) hypothesis for the origins of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs). Recently it has been recognized that a variety of plasma wave-particle interactions operate at astrophysical shocks and the detailed outcomes of DSA are governed by their complex and nonlinear interrelationships. Here we calculate the energy spectra of CR protons and electrons accelerated at Type Ia SNRs, using time-dependent, DSA simulations with phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification due to CR streaming instabilities, Alfvenic drift, and free escape boundary. We show that, if scattering centers drift with the Alfven speed in the amplified magnetic fields, the CR energy spectrum is steepened and the acceleration efficiency is significantly reduced at strong CR modified SNR shocks. Even with fast Afvenic drift, DSA can still be efficient enough to develop a substantial shock precursor due to CR pressure feedback and convert about 20-30% of the SN explosion energy into CRs. Since the high energy end of the CR proton spectrum is composed of the particles that are injected in the early stages, in order to predict nonthermal emissions, especially in X-ray and γ-ray bands, it is important to follow the time dependent evolution of the shock dynamics, CR injection process, magnetic field amplification, and particle escape. Thus it is crucial to understand the details of these plasma interactions associated with collisionless shocks in successful modeling of nonlinear DSA.

Based on the cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, we study the properties of shock waves formed during the formation of the large scale structure (LSS) of the universe, and investigate their contribution to the cosmic ray (CR) fraction in the intergalactic medium (IGM). It is found that while strong accretion shocks prevail at high redshift, weak internal shocks become dominant in the intracluster medium (ICM) as galaxy clusters form and virialize at low redshift, z < 1. The accumulated CR proton energy is likely to be less than 10 % of the thermal energy in the ICM, since weak shocks of M ≲ 3 are most abundant. This is consistent with the upper limit constrained by radio and gamma-ray observations of galaxy clusters. In the warm-hot medium (WHIM) inside filaments, CRs and gas could be almost in energy equipartition, since relatively stronger shocks of 5 ≲ M ≲ 10 are dominant there. We suggest that the non-thermal emissions from the CR electrons and protons accelerated by cosmological shock waves could provide a new way to detect the WHIM of the universe.

The Sausage radio relic is the arc-like radio structure in the cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301, whose observed properties can be best understood by synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons accelerated at a merger-driven shock. However, there remain a few puzzles that cannot be explained by the shock acceleration model with only in-situ injection. In particular, the Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, $M_{\rm radio}\approx 4.6$, while the Mach number estimated from X-ray observations, $M_{\rm X-ray}\approx 2.7$. In an attempt to resolve such a discrepancy, here we consider the re-acceleration model in which a shock of $M_s\approx 3$ sweeps through the intracluster gas with a pre-existing population of relativistic electrons. We find that observed brightness profiles at multi frequencies provide strong constraints on the spectral shape of pre-existing electrons. The models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, $s\approx 4.1$, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, $\gamma_{e,c}\approx 3-5\times 10^4$ can reproduce reasonably well the observed spatial profiles of radio fluxes and integrated radio spectrum of the Sausage relic. The possible origins of such relativistic electrons in the intracluster medium remain to be investigated further., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, submittted to JKAS

Most of the observed features of radio {\it gischt} relics such as spectral steepening across the relic width and power-law-like integrated spectrum can be adequately explained by diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) model, in which relativistic electrons are (re-)accelerated at shock waves induced in the intracluster medium. However, the steep spectral curvature in the integrated spectrum above $\sim 2$ GHz detected in some radio relics such as the Sausage relic in cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 may not be interpreted by simple radiative cooling of postshock electrons. In order to understand such steepening, we here consider a model in which a spherical shock sweeps through and then exits out of a finite-size cloud with fossil relativistic electrons. The ensuing integrated radio spectrum is expected to steepen much more than predicted for aging postshock electrons, since the re-acceleration stops after the cloud-crossing time. Using DSA simulations that are intended to reproduce radio observations of the Sausage relic, we show that both the integrated radio spectrum and the surface brightness profile can be fitted reasonably well, if a shock of speed, $u_s \sim 2.5-2.8\times 10^3 \kms$, and sonic Mach number, $M_s \sim 2.7-3.0$, traverses a fossil cloud for $\sim 45$ Myr and the postshock electrons cool further for another $\sim 10$ Myr. This attempt illustrates that steep curved spectra of some radio gischt relics could be modeled by adjusting the shape of the fossil electron spectrum and adopting the specific configuration of the fossil cloud., accepted for publication in ApJ

The Toothbrush radio relic associated the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3 is presumed to be produced by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks. Since the shock Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, $M_{radio}\approx 2.8$, is larger than that estimated from X-ray observations, $M_{X-ray}\lesssim 1.5$, we consider the re-acceleration model in which a weak shock of $M_s\approx 1.2-1.5$ sweeps through the intracluster plasma with a preshock population of relativistic electrons. We find the models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, $s\approx 4.6$, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, $\gamma_{e,c}\approx 7-8\times 10^4$ can reproduce reasonably well the observed profiles of radio fluxes and integrated radio spectrum of the head portion of the Toothbrush relic. This study confirms the strong connection between the ubiquitous presence of fossil relativistic plasma originated from AGNs and the shock-acceleration model of radio relics in the intracluster medium., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to JKAS

Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are a valuable tool for understanding the growth of large scale structure and the observables connected with this. Yet, comparably little attention has been given to validation studies of the proper ties of shocks and of the resulting thermal gas between different numerical methods ‐ something of immediate importance as gravitational shocks are responsible for generating most of the entropy of the large scale structure in the Universe. Here, we present results for the s tatistics of thermal gas and the shock wave properties for a large volume simulated with three different cosmological numerical codes: the Eulerian total variations diminishing c ode TVD, the Eulerian piecewise parabolic method-based code ENZO, and the Lagrangian smoothed-particle hydrodynamics code GADGET. Starting from a shared set of initial conditions, we present convergence tests for a cosmological volume of side-length 100Mpc/h, studying in detail the morphological and statistical properties of the thermal gas as a function o f mass and spatial resolution in all codes. By applying shock finding methods to each code, we meas ure the statistics of shock waves and the related cosmic ray acceleration efficiencies, within the sample of simulations and for the results of the different approaches. We discuss t he regimes of uncertainties and disagreement among codes, with a particular focus on the results at the scale of galaxy clusters. Even if the bulk of thermal and shock properties are reasonably in agreement among the three codes, yet some significant differences exist (esp ecially between Eulerian methods and smoothed particle hydrodynamics). In particular, we report: a) differences of huge factors (∼ 10 − 100) in the values of average gas density, temperature, entropy, Mach number and shock thermal energy flux in the most rarefied regions of the si mulations (ρ/ρcr < 1) between grid and SPH methods; b) the hint of an entropy core inside clusters simulated in grid codes; c) significantly different phase diagrams of shocked cells i n grid codes compared to SPH; d) sizable differences in the morphologies of accretion shocks between grid and SPH methods.

We present calculations of expected continuum emissions from Sedov-Taylor phase Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs), using the energy spectra of cosmic ray (CR) electrons and protons from nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) simulations. A new, general-purpose radiative process code, Cosmicp, was employed to calculate the radiation expected from CR electrons and protons and their secondary products. These radio, X-ray and gamma-ray emissions are generally consistent with current observations of Type Ia SNRs. The emissions from electrons in these models dominate the radio through X-ray bands. Decays of \pi^0 s from p-p collisions mostly dominate the gamma-ray range, although for a hot, low density ISM case (n_{ISM}=0.003 cm^{-3}), the pion decay contribution is reduced sufficiently to reveal the inverse Compton contribution to TeV gamma-rays. In addition, we present simple scalings for the contributing emission processes to allow a crude exploration of model parameter space, enabling these results to be used more broadly. We also discuss the radial surface brightness profiles expected for these model SNRs in the X-ray and gamma-ray bands.

It is now well established that cosmic rays (CRs) are accelerated at collisionless shocks through diffusive shock acceleration. However, some key physical processes, such as thermal leakage injection, self-excitation and dissipation of waves, and resonant scatterings of particles by those waves are nonlinear and not fully understood yet. Hence it is not possible to make precise quantitative predictions for the particle spectrum accelerated at shocks from first principles. If the fraction of particles injected into the CR population is smaller than 10−4, the CR acceleration efficiency is low and so the test-particle solutions are justified. At moderately strong shocks (M 0≳5) with higher injection fractions, the shock structure is significantly modified by nonlinear feedback of CRs. According to time-dependent kinetic simulations of CR modified shocks, the precursor and subshock transition approach a time-asymptotic state, and then evolve in an approximately self-similar fashion, depending only on the similarity variable, x/(u s t). During this self-similar stage, the CR spectrum at the subshock maintains a characteristic form as it evolves: the sum of two power-laws with the slopes determined by the subshock and total compression ratios, along with an exponential cutoff at the highest accelerated momentum.

Collisionless shocks with low sonic Mach numbers, $M_{\rm s} \lesssim 4$, are expected to accelerate cosmic ray (CR) protons via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in the intracluster medium (ICM). However, observational evidence for CR protons in the ICM has yet to be established. Performing particle-in-cell simulations, we study the injection of protons into DSA and the early development of a nonthermal particle population in weak shocks in high $��$ ($\approx 100$) plasmas. Reflection of incident protons, self-excitation of plasma waves via CR-driven instabilities, and multiple cycles of shock drift acceleration are essential to the early acceleration of CR protons in supercritical quasi-parallel shocks. We find that only in ICM shocks with $M_{\rm s} \gtrsim M_{\rm s}^*\approx 2.25$, a sufficient fraction of incoming protons are reflected by the overshoot in the shock electric potential and magnetic mirror at locally perpendicular magnetic fields, leading to efficient excitation of magnetic waves via CR streaming instabilities and the injection into the DSA process. Since a significant fraction of ICM shocks have $M_{\rm s} < M_{\rm s}^*$, CR proton acceleration in the ICM might be less efficient than previously expected. This may explain why the diffuse gamma-ray emission from galaxy clusters due to proton-proton collisions has not been detected so far., To appear in ApJ

We examine the test-particle solution for diffusive shock acceleration, based on simple models for thermal leakage injection and Alfv'enic drift. The critical injection rate, ��_c, above which the cosmic ray (CR) pressure becomes dynamically significant, depends mainly on the sonic shock Mach number, M, and preshock gas temperature, T_1. In the hot-phase interstellar medium (ISM) and intracluster medium, ��_c < 10^{-3} for shocks with M < 5, while ��_c ~ 10^{-4}(T_1/10^6 K)^{1/2} for shocks with M > 10. For T_1=10^6 K, for example, the test-particle solution would be valid if the injection momentum, p_{inj} > 3.8 p_{th}. This leads to the postshock CR pressure less than 10% of the shock ram pressure. If the Alfv'en speed is comparable to the sound speed in the preshock flow, as in the hot-phase ISM, the power-law slope of CR spectrum can be significantly softer than the canonical test-particle slope. Then the CR spectrum at the shock can be approximated by the revised test-particle power-law with an exponential cutoff at the highest accelerated momentum, p_{max}(t). An analytic form of the exponential cutoff is also suggested., 17 pages, 5 figures, to appear in ApJ

We provide a both qualitative and quantitative comparison among different approaches aimed to solve the problem of non-linear diffusive acceleration of particles at shocks. In particular, we show that state-of-the-art models (numerical, Monte Carlo and semi-analytical), even if based on different physical assumptions and implementations, for typical environmental parameters lead to very consistent results in terms of shock hydrodynamics, cosmic ray spectrum and also escaping flux spectrum and anisotropy. Strong points and limits of each approach are also discussed, as a function of the problem one wants to study.

We studied how the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) affects the propagation of super-GZK protons that originate from extragalactic sources within the local GZK sphere. Toward this end, we set up hypothetical sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic-rays (UHECRs), virtual observers, and the magnetized cosmic web in a model universe constructed from cosmological structure formation simulations. We then arranged a set of reference objects mimicking active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the local universe, with which correlations of simulated UHECR events are analyzed. With our model IGMF, the deflection angle between the arrival direction of super-GZK protons and the sky position of their actual sources is quite large with the mean value of $ \sim 15^{\circ}$ and the median value of $\tilde \theta \sim 7 - 10^{\circ}$. On the other hand, the separation angle between the arrival direction and the sky position of nearest reference objects is substantially smaller with $ \sim 3.5 - 4^{\circ}$, which is similar to the mean angular distance in the sky to nearest neighbors among the reference objects. This is a direct consequence of our model that the sources, observers, reference objects, and the IGMF all trace the matter distribution of the universe. The result implies that extragalactic objects lying closest to the arrival direction of UHECRs are not necessary their actual sources. With our model for the distribution of reference objects, the fraction of super-GZK proton events, whose closest AGNs are true sources, is less than 1/3. We discussed implications of our findings for correlation studies of real UHECR events., Comment: Submitted to ApJ; 27 pages with 8 figures (reduced resolution in black-and-white). Pdf with full-resolution, color figures can be downloaded from http://canopus.cnu.ac.kr/ryu/rdk.pdf

The Telescope Array(TA) experiment located at western desert in Utah USA (N39.3,W112.9) is designed for observation of air shower from extreme high energy cosmic rays. The TA detector consists of 2 types of detector to enable a cross check on systematic difference from the two main methods of observation for the energy region. One is a Fluorescence detector (FD) for detecting fluorescence light from air shower and another is surface detector (SD) array for detecting air shower particles at ground level. Each SD consists of 2 layers of plastic scintillator with 3m 2 of surface and more sensitive to electromagnetic component in air shower. The full operation using 3FD stations and full SD array has started. Here we present the updated status of Telescope Array experiment.

The Telescope Array (TA) is a large scale ground experiment in Utah, USA for the measurement of extensive air showers from the ultra-high energy cosmic rays. Its construction is completed in March, 2008 and the data taking started.