Description

Photomeson production by hadronic nucleon-photon interactions plays a role in many high energy astrophysical environments where relativistic particle populations exist. Here, the situation of a population of relativistic protons moving with relativistic speed along the jet of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and which interact with the AGN's accretion disk is considered. When a relativistic nucleon interacts hadronically with a photon, secondary particles are produced. In this work the angular distribution of stable secondary particle spectra (photons, neutrinos, electrons+positrons) shall be derived from interactions of the relativistic protons in the radiation field of a (Shakura-Sunyaev) accretion disk. For this the event generator of the SOPHIA Monte Carlo code shall be used. In this work the student will get insights into hadronic photon-nucleon interactions, the Monte-Carlo technique to simulate particle interactions and the relevance of photomeson production in astrophysical environments. The student will need to have some knowledge about special relativity and particle physics/interactions.