Existence and interpretation of smooth cosmic-ray dominated shock structures in supernova remnants

Abstract

Studies of energetic particle acceleration at collisionless shocks by the diffusive shock acceleration process indicate that completely smooth cosmic ray dominated shock structures are possible. The existence of these is discussed and conditions for their existence derived. It is shown that such solutions cannot dominate the evolution of supernova remnants if the particle diffusion coefficient has the expected strong momentum dependence To appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics, July 1995, vol 299 pp 222-224