Electron–Ion Temperature Ratio in Astrophysical Shocks

Abstract

Collisionless shock waves in supernova remnants and the solar wind heat electrons less effectively than they heat ions, as is predicted by kinetic simulations. However, the values of T _e / T _p inferred from the H α profiles of supernova remnant shocks behave differently as a function of Mach number or Alfvén Mach number than what is measured in the solar wind or predicted by simulations. Here we determine T _e / T _p for supernova remnant shocks using H α profiles, shock speeds from proper motions, and electron temperatures from X-ray spectra. We also improve the estimates of sound speed and Alfvén speed used to determine Mach numbers. We find that the H α determinations are robust and that the discrepancies among supernova remnant shocks, solar wind shocks, and computer-simulated shocks remain. We discuss some possible contributing factors, including shock precursors, turbulence, and varying preshock conditions.

Keywords

• Supernova remnants
• Shocks
• Plasma astrophysics