A self-consistent treatment of linear acceleration emission.
Abstract
We consider linear acceleration emission by charged particles moving rectilinearly in the field of a self consistent longitudinal `electrostatic' wave of superluminal phase speed. For a monochromatic wave of superluminal phase speed, a Lorentz transformation can remove the spatial dependence but not the time dependence. Thus we are considering here an essentially time dependent waveform. Emission and absorption coefficients are written down generally for arbitrary periodic particle motion and then averaged over emission angle. Such an average is required in the case of a monoenergetic particle distribution, but does not limit the usefulness of the results. For motion in a very strong wave it is found that the growth rate for emission by the particles exhibits a strong frequency dependence. This dependence is due to the fact that emission is spread over a large number of harmonics of the electrostatic wave frequency and not confined to the first harmonic alone, as is the case in the small amplitude limit. The growth rate in principle is large enough to account for coherent radio emission from pulsars.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1995
- Bibcode:
- 1995A&A...296..275R
- Keywords:
-
- ACCELERATION OF PARTICLES;
- MASERS;
- RADIATION MECHANISMS: NON-THERMAL;
- WAVES;
- STARS: PULSARS: GENERAL