PARTICLE ACCELERATION AND MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION IN THE JETS OF 4C74.26

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 806; no. 2; pp. 1 - 4
• Main Authors: Araudo, A. T., Bell, A. R., Blundell, K. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Astronomical Society 20-06-2015
• Subjects: ACCELERATION; acceleration of particles; AMPLIFICATION; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; COSMIC PROTONS; Decomposition; DIFFUSION; Diffusion coefficient; Emission; GALAXIES; galaxies: active; galaxies: jets; INTERFEROMETRY; JETS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; QUASARS; quasars: individual (4C74.26); radiation mechanisms: non-thermal; SHOCK WAVES; TEV RANGE; TURBULENCE; WAVELENGTHS
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/806/2/243

ABSTRACT We model the multi-wavelength emission in the southern hotspot of the radio quasar 4C74.26. The synchrotron radio emission is resolved near the shock with the MERLIN radio-interferometer, and the rapid decay of this emission behind the shock is interpreted as the decay of the amplified downstream magnetic field as expected for small scale turbulence. Electrons are accelerated to only 0.3 TeV, consistent with a diffusion coefficient many orders of magnitude greater than in the Bohm regime. If the same diffusion coefficient applies to the protons, their maximum energy is only ∼100 TeV.