Investigations of Lepton and Baryon Acceleration in Relativistic Astrophysical Shocks

Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts are often the brightest objects in the sky during their short life. Particle acceleration in trans-relativistic shocks, internal to the main blastwave, may explain the early intensity peaks, and particle acceleration in the main blastwave, as it slows from ultrarelativistic speeds to the trans-relativistic range, may explain the afterglow. If the radiation results from energetic leptons, how do leptons become energized? A nonlinear relativistic Monte Carlo model was developed and used to study lepton and baryon acceleration by parallel shocks in the trans-relativistic range. Given the assumptions of this model, if the lepton and baryon number densities are of the same order, leptons will always carry far less energy than baryons. However, if the lepton density exceeds the baryon density by a factor of 300,000, the shock is modified primarily by leptons and energy equipartition between leptons and baryons occurs. The lepton to baryon number density ratio for energy equipartition is independent of shock speed over the trans-relativistic range of Lorentz factors used in this study.