Radiative losses and cut-offs of energetic particles at relativistic shocks

P. Dempsey, P. Duffy
2007 Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society  
We investigate the acceleration and simultaneous radiative losses of electrons in the vicinity of relativistic shocks. Particles undergo pitch angle diffusion, gaining energy as they cross the shock by the Fermi mechanism and also emitting synchrotron radiation in the ambient magnetic field. A semi-analytic approach is developed which allows us to consider the behaviour of the shape of the spectral cut-off and the variation of that cut-off with the particle pitch angle. The implications for the
more » ... synchrotron emission of relativistic jets, such as those in gamma ray burst sources and blazars, are discussed.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11800.x fatcat:2v7jni5ikjgwnp6ej5dots4u3q