Coherent Electromagnetic Emission from Relativistic Magnetized Shocks

Understand

Relativistic magnetized shocks are a natural source of coherent emission, offering a plausible radiative mechanism for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs).

• We present first-principles 3D simulations that provide essential information for the FRB models based on shocks: the emission efficiency, spectrum, and polarization.
• The simulated shock propagates in an $e^\pm$ plasma with magnetization $\sigma>1$.
• The measured fraction of shock energy converted to coherent radiation is $\simeq 10^{-3} \, \sigma^{-1}$, and the energy-carrying wavenumber of the wave spectrum is $\simeq 4 \,\omega_{\rm c}/c$, where $\omega_{\rm c}$ is the upstream gyrofrequency.