  Plasma instabilities (e.g., Buneman, Weibel and other two-stream
instabilities) created in collisionless shocks may be responsible for particle
(electron, positron, and ion) acceleration. Using a 3-D relativistic
electromagnetic particle (REMP) code, we have investigated long-term particle
acceleration associated with relativistic electron-ion or electron-positron jet
fronts propagating into an unmagnetized ambient electron-ion or
electron-positron plasma. These simulations have been performed with a longer
simulation system than our previous simulations in order to investigate the
nonlinear stage of the Weibel instability and its particle acceleration
mechanism. The current channels generated by the Weibel instability are
surrounded by toroidal magnetic fields and radial electric fields. This radial
electric field is quasi stationary and accelerates particles which are then
deflected by the magnetic field.

Astrophysics