• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2009

The propagation of an intense laser pulse through an upward density-gradient plasma in a self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration (SM-LWFA) is investigated by using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In the fully relativistic and kinetic PIC simulations, the relativistic and kinetic effects including Landau damping enhance the electron dephasing. This electron dephasing is the most important factor for limiting the energy of accelerated electrons. However, the electron dephasing, which is enhanced by relativistic and kinetic effects in the homogeneous plasma, can be forestalled through the detuning process arising from the longitudinal density gradient. Simulation results show that the detuning process can effectively maintain the coherence of the laser wake wave in the spatiotemporal wakefield pattern, hence considerable energy enhancement is achievable. The spatiotemporal profiles are analyzed for the detailed study on the relativistic and kinetic effects. In this paper, the optimum slope of the density gradient for increasing electron energy is presented for various laser intensities.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.83-92
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• 2016

The Toothbrush radio relic associated with the merging cluster 1RXS J060303.3 is presumed to be produced by relativistic electrons accelerated at merger-driven shocks. Since the shock Mach number inferred from the observed radio spectral index, M_radio ≈ 2.8, is larger than that estimated from X-ray observations, M_X ≲ 1.5, we consider the re-acceleration model in which a weak shock of M_s ≈ 1.2 - 1.5 sweeps through the intracluster plasma with a preshock population of relativistic electrons. We find the models with a power-law momentum spectrum with the slope, s ≈ 4.6, and the cutoff Lorentz factor, γ_e,c ≈ 7-8×10⁴ can reproduce reasonably well the observed profiles of radio uxes and integrated radio spectrum of the head portion of the Toothbrush relic. This study confirms the strong connection between the ubiquitous presence of fossil relativistic plasma originated from AGNs and the shock-acceleration model of radio relics in the intracluster medium.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.52-52
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• 2006

Many spacecraft failures and anomalies have been attributed to energetic electrons in the Earth's magnetosphere. While the dynamics of these electrons have been studied extensively for several decades, the fundamental question of how they are accelerated is not fully resolved. Proposed theories have not been successful in explaining fast high energy increase such as REE (Relativistic electron enhancement). In this presentation, we show observations of energetic electron precipitation measured by the Korean satellite, STSAT-1 which simultaneously detect (100ev - 20 keV) and (170 - 360 keV) energy electrons at the 680 km orbit, when the RES event observed at the geosynchronous orbit on October 13, 2004. STSAT-1 observed intense electron precipitation in both energy ranges occurred in the midnight sector clearly demonstrating that electrons having wide energy band are injected from the plasma sheet. To make the balance between loss and injection, the injected electron flux should be also large. In this situation, the injected electrons can be trapped into the magnetosphere and produce REE, though they have low e-folding energies. We propose this plasma sheet injection might be the primary source of relativistic electron (1 MeV) flux increases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.219-219
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• 2003

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2009

Target design study to improve the quality of an accelerated proton beam from the interaction of a high-intensity short pulse laser with an overdense plasma slab has been accomplished by using a two-dimensional, fully electromagnetic and relativistic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The target consists of a thin core part and a thick peripheral part of equivalent plasma densities, while the ratio of the radius of the core part to the laser spot size, and the position of the peripheral part relative to the fixed core part were varied. The positive effects of this core-peripheral target structure could be expected from the knowledge of the typical target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) mechanism in a laser-plasma interaction, and were apparently evidenced from the comparison with the case of a conventional simple planar target and the case of the transversal size reduction of the simple planar target. Improvements of the beam qualities including the collimation, the forward directionality, and the beam divergence were verified by detailed analysis of relativistic momentum, angular directionality, and the spatial density map of the accelerated protons.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 1995

An axisymmetric, stationary electrodynamic model of the central engine of an active galactic nucleus has been well formulated by Macdonald and Thorne. In this model the relativistic region around the central black hole must be filled by highly conducting plasma. We analyze plasma wave propagation in this region and discuss the results. We find that the ionosphere cannot exist right outside of the event horizon of the black hole. Another interesting aspect is that certain resonance phenomena can occur in this case.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.173-174
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• 2009

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.41-41
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• 2007

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.31.1-31.1
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• 2008

While some observations in the geomagnetic tail region supported electrons could be accelerated by reconnection processes, we still need more observation data to confirm electron acceleration in this region. Because most acceleration processes accompany strong pitch angle diffusion, if the electrons were accelerated in this region, strong energetic electron precipitation should be observed near earth on aurora oval. Even though there are several low altitude satellites observing electron precipitation, intense and small scale precipitation events have not been identified successfully. In this presentation, we will show an observation of strong energetic electron precipitation that might be analyzed by relativistic electron acceleration in the confined region. This event was observed by low altitude Korean STSAT-1, where intense several hundred keV electron precipitation was seen simultaneously with 10 keV electrons during storm time. In addition, we observed large magnetic field fluctuations and an ionospheric plasma depletion with FUV aurora emissions. Our observation implies relativistic electrons can be generated in the small area where Fermi acceleration might work.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1988

Electron beam propagation in a fully ionized plasma has been studied using a one-dimensional particle simulation model. We compare the results of electrostatic simulations to those of electromagnetic simulations. The electrostatic results show the essential features of beam-plasma interactions. It is found that the return currents are enhanced by the beam-plasma instability which accelerates ambinet plasmas. The results also show the heating of ambient plasmas and the trapping of plasmas due to the locally generated electric field. The electromagnetic simulations show much the same results as the electrostatic simulations do. The level of the radiation generated by the same non-relativistic beam is slightly higher than the noise level. We discuss the results in context in context of the heating of coronal plasma during solar flares.