Particle acceleration near astrophysical compact objects--Several problems in high energy astrophysics

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dc.contributor.advisorLiang, Edison P.en_US
dc.creatorLi, Huien_US
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-04T08:20:35Zen_US
dc.date.available2009-06-04T08:20:35Zen_US
dc.date.issued1995en_US
dc.description.abstractParticle acceleration in astrophysical plasmas has been a longstanding and challenging problem and it has been both intensively and extensively highlighted by the recent observations from Compton Gamma Ray Observatory on various astrophysical objects, including Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and Galactic Black Hole Candidates (gBHCs). In this work, I study the stochastic particle acceleration due to the resonant interactions between the turbulent plasma waves and particles. I employ the particle orbital theory approach by treating the effects of various waves as perturbations to particle's zeroth-order Hamiltonian. The particle's momentum and pitch angle diffusion coefficients ($D\sb{pp},\ D\sb{\mu\mu})$ are derived for interactions of proton/Alfven-wave, electron/fast-magnetosonic-wave and electron /whistler-wave, though the formalism can be generalized to other type of waves. Based on the Monte Carlo code I have developed, which solves the coupled time-dependent wave, particle, and photon kinetic equations, these results have been or are being applied to the central region of both AGNs and gBHCs, with applications for gamma-ray production and energetic particle outflows. By calculating the particle trajectories under the influence of gravity and radiation pressure near the center of galactic black hole accretion disk, I show that the recent discoveries of relativistic outflows from several X-ray binaries (e.g., GRS1915+105 and GROJ1655$-$40) can be well explained by radiation acceleration. The calculated final jet velocity is in good agreement with the observations and further constraints can be put on the composition and the power of those jets. The isotropic but inhomogeneous distribution of GRBs over the whole sky apparently requires more exotic explanations. A novel model for GRBs from high velocity neutron stars, which escape into our Galactic halo, has been developed. I show, in detail, the difficulties the halo models are facing and propose several scenarios to overcome them. This model predicts that bright burst distribution should deviate from isotropy and it still awaits confrontation with the observations.en_US
dc.format.extent131 p.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.callnoTHESIS SP. SCI. 1995 LIen_US
dc.identifier.citationLi, Hui. "Particle acceleration near astrophysical compact objects--Several problems in high energy astrophysics." (1995) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/19101">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/19101</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/19101en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectAstronomyen_US
dc.subjectAstrophysicsen_US
dc.titleParticle acceleration near astrophysical compact objects--Several problems in high energy astrophysicsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentSpace Scienceen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNatural Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
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