Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter NonThermalAccel   (MW-1250)

Constraining Acceleration Mechanisms in Blazar Jets Through Sub-grid Modeling in MHD Simulations

Patrick Günther, Sarah Wagner, Karl Mannheim
Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Astronomie

Jets from Blazars are known for their intricate high-energy emission signatures pointing at a population of non-thermal particles present in the jet's plasma. While magnetohydrodynamic simulations give insights on the large-scale plasma conditions, they require sub-grid modeling to draw conclusions about the non-thermal population of particles. We present a code solving the 2-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation that is able to combine acceleration mechanisms such as diffusive shock acceleration and momentum diffusion for varying plasma conditions. It incorporates cooling via photon emission and therefore enables predictions about the radiative signatures (lightcurves and spectral energy distributions). We explore the parameter space of the acceleration processes with the aim of deriving radiative signatures that can be compared with observations. This will help to draw conclusions about the kinetic processes at play.