arXiv subjects

Bart Ripperda

Publications and source records attributed to Bart Ripperda.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Test particles in relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamics

The Black Hole Accretion Code (BHAC) has recently been extended with the ability to evolve charged test particles according to the Lorentz force within resistive relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations. We apply this method to evolve particles in a reconnecting current sheet that forms due to the coalescence of two magnetic flux tubes in 2D Minkowski spacetime. This is the first analysis of charged test particle evolution in resistive relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The energy distributions of an ensemble of 100.000 electrons are analyzed, as well as the acceleration of particles in the plasmoids that form in the reconnection layer. The effect of the Lundquist number, magnetization, and plasma-$β$ on the particle energy distribution is explored for a range of astrophysically relevant parameters. We find that electrons accelerate to non-thermal energies in the thin current sheets in all cases. We find two separate acceleration regimes: An exponential increase of the Lorentz factor during the island coalescence where the acceleration depends linearly on the resistivity and a nonlinear phase with high variability. These results are relevant for determining energy distributions and acceleration sites obtaining radiation maps in large-scale magnetohydrodynamics simulations of black hole accretion disks and jets.

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arXiv2019

Relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamic reconnection and plasmoid formation in merging flux tubes

We apply the general relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamics code {\tt BHAC} to perform a 2D study of the formation and evolution of a reconnection layer in between two merging magnetic flux tubes in Minkowski spacetime. Small-scale effects in the regime of low resistivity most relevant for dilute astrophysical plasmas are resolved with very high accuracy due to the extreme resolutions obtained with adaptive mesh refinement. Numerical convergence in the highly nonlinear plasmoid-dominated regime is confirmed for a sweep of resolutions. We employ both uniform resistivity and non-uniform resistivity based on the local, instantaneous current density. For uniform resistivity we find Sweet-Parker reconnection, from $η= 10^{-2}$ down to $η= 10^{-4}$, for a reference case of magnetisation $σ= 3.33$ and plasma-$β= 0.1$. {For uniform resistivity $η=5\times10^{-5}$ the tearing mode is recovered, resulting in the formation of secondary plasmoids. The plasmoid instability enhances the reconnection rate to $v_{\rm rec} \sim 0.03c$ compared to $v_{\rm rec} \sim 0.01c$ for $η=10^{-4}$.} For non-uniform resistivity with a base level $η_0 = 10^{-4}$ and an enhanced current-dependent resistivity in the current sheet, we find an increased reconnection rate of $v_{\rm rec} \sim 0.1c$. The influence of the magnetisation $σ$ and the plasma-$β$ is analysed for cases with uniform resistivity $η=5\times10^{-5}$ and $η=10^{-4}$ in a range $0.5 \leq σ\leq 10$ and $0.01 \leq β\leq 1$ in regimes that are applicable for black hole accretion disks and jets. The plasmoid instability is triggered for Lundquist numbers larger than a critical value of $S_{\rm c} \approx 8000$.

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arXiv2019

A comprehensive comparison of relativistic particle integrators

We compare relativistic particle integrators commonly used in plasma physics showing several test cases relevant for astrophysics. Three explicit particle pushers are considered, namely the Boris, Vay, and Higuera-Cary schemes. We also present a new relativistic fully implicit particle integrator that is energy conserving. Furthermore, a method based on the relativistic guiding center approximation is included. The algorithms are described such that they can be readily implemented in magnetohydrodynamics codes or Particle-in-Cell codes. Our comparison focuses on the strengths and key features of the particle integrators. We test the conservation of invariants of motion, and the accuracy of particle drift dynamics in highly relativistic, mildly relativistic, and non-relativistic settings. The methods are compared in idealized test cases, i.e., without considering feedback on the electrodynamic fields, collisions, pair creation, or radiation. The test cases include uniform electric and magnetic fields, $\mathbf{E}\times\mathbf{B}$-fields, force-free fields, and setups relevant for high-energy astrophysics, e.g., a magnetic mirror, a magnetic dipole, and a magnetic null. These tests have direct relevance for particle acceleration in shocks and in magnetic reconnection.

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arXiv2018

Numerical methods for General Relativistic particles

We present recent developments on numerical algorithms for computing photon and particle trajectories in the surrounding of compact objects. Strong gravity around neutron stars or black holes causes relativistic effects on the motion of massive particles and distorts light rays due to gravitational lensing. Efficient numerical methods are required for solving the equations of motion and compute i) the black hole shadow obtained by tracing light rays from the object to a distant observer, and ii) obtain information on the dynamics of the plasma at the microscopic scale. Here, we present generalized algorithms capable of simulating ensembles of photons or massive particles in any spacetime, with the option of including external forces. The coupling of these tools with GRMHD simulations is the key point for obtaining insight on the complex dynamics of accretion disks and jets and for comparing simulations with upcoming observational results from the Event Horizon Telescope.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Generalized, energy-conserving numerical simulations of particles in general relativity. I. Time-like and null geodesics

The numerical integration of particle trajectories in curved spacetimes is fundamental for obtaining realistic models of the particle dynamics around massive compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars. Generalized algorithms capable of handling generic metrics are required for studies of both standard spacetimes (Schwarzschild and Kerr metrics) and non-standard spacetimes (e.g. Schwarzschild metric plus non-classical perturbations or multiple black hole metrics). The most commonly employed explicit numerical schemes (e.g. Runge-Kutta) are incapable of producing highly accurate results at critical points, e.g. in the regions close to the event horizon where gravity causes extreme curvature of the spacetime, at an acceptable computational cost. Here, we describe a generalized algorithm for the numerical integration of time-like (massive particles) and null (photons) geodesics in any given 3+1 split spacetime. We introduce a new, exactly energy-conserving implicit integration scheme based on the preservation of the underlying Hamiltonian, and we compare its properties with a standard fourth-order Runge-Kutta explicit scheme and an implicit midpoint scheme. We test the numerical performance of the three schemes against analytic solutions of particle and photon orbits in Schwarzschild and Kerr spacetimes. We also prove the versatility of our framework in handling more exotic metrics such as Morris-Thorne wormholes and quantum-perturbed Schwarzschild black holes. The generalized approach is also discussed in the perspective of future extensions to more complex particle dynamics, e.g. the addition of the Lorentz force acting on charged particles, which allows for test particle diagnostics in GRMHD simulations.

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arXiv2017

Reconnection and particle acceleration in interacting flux ropes I. Magnetohydrodynamics and test particles in 2.5D

Magnetic reconnection and non-thermal particle distributions associated with current-driven instabilities are investigated by means of resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations combined with relativistic test particle methods. We propose a system with two parallel, repelling current channels in an initially force-free equilibrium, as a simplified representation of flux ropes in a stellar magnetosphere. The current channels undergo a rotation and separation on Alfvénic timescales, forming secondary islands and (up to tearing unstable) current sheets in which non-thermal energy distributions are expected to develop. Using the recently developed particle module of our open-source grid-adaptive MPI-AMRVAC software, we simulate MHD evolution combined with test particle treatments in MHD snapshots. We explore under which plasma-$β$ conditions the fastest reconnection occurs in two-and-a-half dimensional (2.5D) scenarios and in these settings test particles are evolved. We quantify energy distributions, acceleration mechanisms, relativistic corrections to the particle equations of motion and effects of resistivity in magnetically dominated proton-electron plasmas. Due to large resistive electric fields and indefinite acceleration of particles in the infinitely long current channels, hard energy spectra are found in 2.5D configurations. Solutions to these numerical artifacts are proposed for both 2.5D setups and future 3D work. We discuss the magnetohydrodynamics of an additional kink instability in 3D setups and the expected effects on energy distributions. The obtained results hold as a proof-of-principle for test particle approaches in MHD simulations, relevant to explore less idealised scenarios like solar flares and more exotic astrophysical phenomena, like black hole flares, magnetar magnetospheres and pulsar wind nebulae.

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