Phase space interpretation of exponential Fermi acceleration

Fermi Acceleration

Fermi acceleration is a mechanism, first suggested by Enrico Fermi in 1949, to explain heating of particles in cosmic rays. Fermi studied charged particles being reflected by the moving interstellar magnetic field and either gaining or losing energy, depending on whether the ”magnetic mirror” is approaching or receding. In a typical environment, Fermi argued, the probability of a head-on collis...

Causal Interpretation and Quantum Phase Space

We show that the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation can be easily implemented in quantum phase space through the method of quasi-distributions. This method establishes a connection with the formalism of the Wigner function. As a by-product, we obtain the rules for evaluating the expectation values and probabilities associated with a general observable in the de BroglieBohm formulation. Finally, we ...

Fermi acceleration in astrophysical jets

We consider the acceleration of energetic particles by Fermi processes (i.e., diffusive shock acceleration, second order Fermi acceleration, and gradual shear acceleration) in relativistic astrophysical jets, with particular attention given to recent progress in the field of viscous shear acceleration. We analyze the associated acceleration timescales and the resulting particle distributions, a...

Fermi Acceleration at relativistic Shocks

After a successful development of theoretical and numerical works on Fermi acceleration at relativistic shocks, some difficulties recently raised with the scattering issue, a crucial aspect of the process. Most pioneering works were developed assuming the scattering off magnetic fluctuations as given. Even in that case, when a mean field is considered, its orientation is mostly perpendicular to...

Fermi Acceleration in a periodically Driven Fermi-Ulam Model