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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Devika Tharakkal, Andrew Snodin, Dr Graeme Sarson, Professor Anvar ShukurovORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
The spatial distribution of cosmic ray (CR) particles in the interstellar medium (ISM) is of major importance in radio astronomy, where its knowledge is essential for the interpretation of observations, and in theoretical astrophysics, where CR contribute to the structure and dynamics of the ISM. Local inhomogeneities in interstellar magnetic field strength and structure can affect the local diffusivity and ensemble dynamics of the cosmic ray particles. Magnetic traps (regions between magnetic mirrors located on the same magnetic line) can lead to especially strong and persistent features inthe CR spatial distribution. Using test particle simulations, we study the spatial distribution of an ensemble of CR particles (both protons and electrons) in various magnetic field configurations, from an idealized axisymmetric trap to those that emerge in intermittent (dynamo-generated) random magnetic fields. We demonstrate that both the inhomogeneity in the CR sources and the energy losses by the CR particles can lead to persistent local inhomogeneities in the CR distribution and that the protons and electrons have different spatial distributions. Our results can have profound implications for the interpretation of the synchrotron emission from astronomical objects, and in particular its random fluctuations.
Author(s): Tharakkal D, Snodin AP, Sarson GR, Shukurov A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Physical Review E
Year: 2023
Volume: 107
Print publication date: 01/06/2023
Online publication date: 13/06/2023
Acceptance date: 10/05/2023
Date deposited: 13/07/2023
ISSN (print): 2470-0045
ISSN (electronic): 2470-0053
Publisher: American Physical Society
URL: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.107.065206
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.107.065206
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