Small-Angle Scattering and Diffusion: Application to Relativistic Shock Acceleration

R. J. Protheroe, A. Meli, A. -C Donea

Published 2002-10-01Version 1

We investigate ways of accurately simulating the propagation of energetic charged particles over small times where the standard Monte Carlo approximation to diffusive transport breaks down. We find that a small-angle scattering procedure with appropriately chosen step-lengths and scattering angles gives accurate results, and we apply this to the simulation of propagation upstream in relativistic shock acceleration.