Particle acceleration mechanisms in magnetosonic shock waves

Theory and simulations of nonstochastic particle acceleration mechanisms occurring in collisionless shock waves in a magnetized plasma are reviewed. We describe the acceleration mechanisms of hydrogen ions, heavy ions, electrons, nonthermal ions, and positrons. The first three mechanisms explain the basic properties of solar energetic particles; i.e., prompt acceleration of ions to energies 109∼1010 eV and electrons to 107∼108 eV, with elemental compositions of high-energy heavy ions similar to that of the solar corona. For the last two mechanisms, the maximum energies demonstrated by simulations far exceed the level of solar energetic particles. (author)