Combined magnetohydrodynamic-Monte Carlo simulations of proton acceleration in colliding wind binaries

Abstract

The interaction between the strong winds of the stars in colliding-wind binary (CWB) systems produces two shock fronts, delimiting the wind collision region (WCR). There, particles are expected to be accelerated mainly via diffusive shock acceleration, and to produce γ-rays, in processes involving relativistic electrons and/or protons.We investigate the injection and the acceleration of protons in typical CWB systems by means of Monte Carlo simulations, with a test-particle approach. We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations to determine the background conditions in the wind collision region. This allows us to consider particle acceleration at both shocks, on either side of the WCR, with a self-consistently determined large-scale magnetic field, which has an impact on the shape of the WCR, and the topology of which plays an important role in particle acceleration at collisionless shocks. Such studies may contribute to improve γ-ray flux predictions for CWB systems.