The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2024)
Direct Measurements of Synchrotron-emitting Electrons at Near-Sun Shocks
- I. C. Jebaraj,
- O. V. Agapitov,
- M. Gedalin,
- L. Vuorinen,
- M. Miceli,
- C. M. S. Cohen,
- A. Voshchepynets,
- A. Kouloumvakos,
- N. Dresing,
- A. Marmyleva,
- V. Krasnoselskikh,
- M. Balikhin,
- J. G. Mitchell,
- A. W. Labrador,
- N. Wijsen,
- E. Palmerio,
- L. Colomban,
- J. Pomoell,
- E. K. J. Kilpua,
- M. Pulupa,
- F. S. Mozer,
- N. E. Raouafi,
- D. J. McComas,
- S. D. Bale,
- R. Vainio
Affiliations
- I. C. Jebaraj
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku , 20500 Turku, Finland ; [email protected]
- O. V. Agapitov
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Astronomy and Space Physics Department, National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv , 03127 Kyiv, Ukraine
- M. Gedalin
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
- L. Vuorinen
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku , 20500 Turku, Finland ; [email protected]; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London E1 4NS, UK
- M. Miceli
- ORCiD
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica E. Segrè, Università degli Studi di Palermo , Palermo, 90134, Italy
- C. M. S. Cohen
- ORCiD
- California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- A. Voshchepynets
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of System Analysis and Optimization Theory, Uzhhorod National University , 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine
- A. Kouloumvakos
- ORCiD
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory , Laurel, MD 20723, USA
- N. Dresing
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku , 20500 Turku, Finland ; [email protected]
- A. Marmyleva
- ORCiD
- University of Helsinki , 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- V. Krasnoselskikh
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; LPC2E/CNRS , UMR 7328, 45071 Orléans, France
- M. Balikhin
- ORCiD
- University of Sheffield , Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- J. G. Mitchell
- ORCiD
- Heliophysics Science Division , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- A. W. Labrador
- ORCiD
- Heliophysics Science Division , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- N. Wijsen
- ORCiD
- Centre for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics , KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- E. Palmerio
- ORCiD
- Predictive Science Inc. , San Diego, CA 92121, USA
- L. Colomban
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- J. Pomoell
- ORCiD
- University of Helsinki , 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- E. K. J. Kilpua
- ORCiD
- University of Helsinki , 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- M. Pulupa
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- F. S. Mozer
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- N. E. Raouafi
- ORCiD
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory , Laurel, MD 20723, USA
- D. J. McComas
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- S. D. Bale
- ORCiD
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Physics Department, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- R. Vainio
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku , 20500 Turku, Finland ; [email protected]
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad8eb8
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 976,
no. 1
p. L7
Abstract
In this study, we present the first-ever direct measurements of synchrotron-emitting heliospheric traveling shocks, intercepted by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) during its close encounters. Given that much of our understanding of powerful astrophysical shocks is derived from synchrotron radiation, these observations by PSP provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore how shocks accelerate relativistic electrons and the conditions under which they emit radiation. The probe’s unparalleled capabilities to measure both electromagnetic fields and energetic particles with high precision in the near-Sun environment has allowed us to directly correlate the distribution of relativistic electrons with the resulting photon emissions. Our findings reveal that strong quasi-parallel shocks emit radiation at significantly higher intensities than quasi-perpendicular shocks due to the efficient acceleration of ultrarelativistic electrons. These experimental results are consistent with theory and recent observations of supernova remnant shocks and advance our understanding of shock physics across diverse space environments.
Keywords
- Interplanetary shocks
- Shocks
- Non-thermal radiation sources
- Solar radio emission
- Radio continuum emission
- Radio sources
