scholarly journals A corrugated termination shock in pulsar wind nebulae?

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lemoine
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Radiation Reaction ◽  
Termination Shock ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Order Unity ◽  
Poynting Flux ◽  
Electron Positron ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula

Successful phenomenological models of pulsar wind nebulae assume efficient dissipation of the Poynting flux of the magnetized electron–positron wind as well as efficient acceleration of the pairs in the vicinity of the termination shock, but how this is realized is not yet well understood. This paper suggests that the corrugation of the termination shock, at the onset of nonlinearity, may lead towards the desired phenomenology. Nonlinear corrugation of the termination shock would convert a fraction of order unity of the incoming ordered magnetic field into downstream turbulence, slowing down the flow to sub-relativistic velocities. The dissipation of turbulence would further preheat the pair population on short length scales, close to equipartition with the magnetic field, thereby reducing the initial high magnetization to values of order unity. Furthermore, it is speculated that the turbulence generated by the corrugation pattern may sustain a relativistic Fermi process, accelerating particles close to the radiation reaction limit, as observed in the Crab nebula. The required corrugation could be induced by the fast magnetosonic modes of downstream nebular turbulence; but it could also be produced by upstream turbulence, either carried by the wind or seeded in the precursor by the accelerated particles themselves.

scholarly journals Time-variability of the Crab Nebula wisps

2000 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 507-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoly Spitkovsky ◽  
Jonathan Arons
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Propagation Speed ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Electron Positron ◽  
Pair Density ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula ◽  
The Waves

AbstractWe present results of time-dependent numerical modeling of the internal structure of the collisionless shock terminating the pulsar wind in Crab Nebula. We treat the equatorial relativistic wind as composed of ions and electron-positron plasma with an embedded toroidal magnetic field. Relativistic cyclotron instability of the ion ring downstream from the shock is found to launch outward propagating magnetosonic waves. Due to the fresh supply of ions crossing the shock, the time-dependent process achieves a limit-cycle pattern, in which the waves are launched with periodicity on the order of the ion Larmor time. Compressions in magnetic field and pair density associated with these waves as well as their propagation speed qualitatively reproduce the features observed in the wisps.

scholarly journals Peculiar Differences in Radio and X-ray Synchrotron Radiation from Pulsar Wind Nebulae

2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 221-224
Author(s):  
John R. Dickel ◽  
Shiya Wang
Keyword(s):  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Radio Emission ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula

Several Crab-type supernova remnants appear to have very bright non-thermal X-ray cores just around the pulsar or expected pulsar. This X-ray brightness is often not matched by a corresponding increase in radio emission. The best example of this phenomenon is in N157B in the LMC. G21.5−0.9 and possibly 3C 58 also show it while the Crab Nebula and 0540−69.3 do not. Some method to enhance the higher energy particles must be present in these objects.

scholarly journals Diffusion and advection model for particle transport in young pulsar wind nebulae

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S291) ◽  
pp. 265-268
Author(s):  
Xiaping Tang ◽  
Roger A. Chevalier
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Index ◽  
Particle Transport ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Pure Diffusion ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Kink Instability ◽  
The Crab Nebula

AbstractThe magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model for young pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) has been successful in reproducing many features of the nebulae. The model is characterized by a termination shock (TS) between the PWN and unshocked pulsar wind. Relativistic particles are injected at the TS and follow an advective flow to the outer boundary. However, toroidal structure of well studied young PWN like the Crab Nebula, 3C 58 and G21.5-0.9 is only present in the region close to the TS. In the outer parts of the nebulae, filamentary and loop-like structure is observed. Also, the radial variation of spectral index due to synchrotron losses is smoother than expected in the MHD flow model. We find that a pure diffusion model with energy independent diffusion and a transmitting boundary can reproduce the basic data on nebular size and spectral index variation for the Crab, 3C 58, and G21.5-0.9. Energy dependent diffusion is also discussed. Power law variations of the coefficient with energy are degenerate with variation in the input particle energy distribution index in the steady state case. Monte Carlo simulations of particle transport with both diffusion and advection for the Crab nebula and 3C 58 suggest a picture in which advection dominates the inner part of the PWN where toroidal structure is clearly present. Diffusion dominates the outer part of the PWN where filamentary and loop-like structure is observed. The source of the chaotic field is uncertain, but may be related to Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the outer boundary of young nebulae and/or the kink instability of the toroidal magnetic field.

scholarly journals Reverberation of pulsar wind nebulae (I): impact of the medium properties and other parameters upon the extent of the compression

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (2) ◽  
pp. 2051-2062 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Bandiera ◽  
N Bucciantini ◽  
J Martín ◽  
B Olmi ◽  
D F Torres
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Medium ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Reverse Shock ◽  
Pressure Profiles ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Radiation Processes ◽  
The Crab Nebula

ABSTRACT The standard approach to the long-term evolution of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) is based on one-zone models treating the nebula as a uniform system. In particular for the late phase of evolved systems, many of the generally used prescriptions are based on educated guesses for which a proper assessment lacks. Using an advanced radiative code, we evaluate the systematic impact of various parameters, like the properties of the supernova ejecta, of the inner pulsar, as well of the ambient medium, upon the extent of the reverberation phase of PWNe. We investigate how different prescriptions shift the starting time of the reverberation phase, how this affects the amount of the compression, and how much of this can be ascribable to the radiation processes. Some critical aspects are the description of the reverse shock evolution, the efficiency by which at later times material from the ejecta accretes on to the swept-up shell around the PWN, and finally the density, velocity, and pressure profiles in the surrounding supernova remnant. We have explicitly treated the cases of the Crab Nebula, and of J1834.9−0846, taken to be representatives of the more and the less energetic pulsars, respectively. Especially for the latter object, the prediction of large compression factors is confirmed, even larger in the presence of radiative losses, also confirming our former prediction of periods of superefficiency during the reverberation phase of some PWNe.

scholarly journals PARTICLE ACCELERATION AT THE TERMINATION SHOCK OF STRIPED PULSAR WINDS

2012 ◽  
Vol 08 ◽  
pp. 144-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
LORENZO SIRONI ◽  
ANATOLY SPITKOVSKY
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Termination Shock ◽  
Larmor Radius ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Field Polarity ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Post Shock ◽  
Pulsar Wind

The relativistic wind of pulsars consists of toroidal stripes of opposite magnetic field polarity, separated by current sheets of hot plasma. By means of multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we investigate particle acceleration and magnetic field dissipation at the termination shock of a relativistic striped pulsar wind. At the shock, the flow compresses and the alternating fields annihilate by driven magnetic reconnection. Irrespective of the stripe wavelength λ or the wind magnetization σ (in the regime σ ≫1 of magnetically dominated flows), shock-driven reconnection transfers all the magnetic energy of alternating fields to the particles. In the limit λ/(rL σ) ≫ 1, where rL is the relativistic Larmor radius in the wind, the post-shock spectrum approaches a flat power-law tail with slope around -1.5, populated by particles accelerated by the reconnection electric field. Our findings place important constraints on the models of non-thermal radiation from Pulsar Wind Nebulae.

scholarly journals Reconnection in Pulsar Winds

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Kirk ◽  
Y. Lyubarsky
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Frequency Wave ◽  
Poynting Flux ◽  
High Particle ◽  
The Crab Nebula ◽  
Pulsar Winds ◽  
The Magnetic Field

AbstractThe spin-down power of a pulsar is thought to be carried away in an MHD wind in which, at least close to the star, the energy transport is dominated by Poynting flux. The pulsar drives a low frequency wave in this wind, consisting of stripes of toroidal magnetic field of alternating polarity, propagating in a region around the equatorial plane. The current implied by this configuration falls off more slowly with radius than the number of charged particles available to carry it, so that the MHD picture must, at some point, fail. Recently, magnetic reconnection in such a structure has been shown to accelerate the wind significantly. This reduces the magnetic field in the comoving frame and, consequently, the required current, enabling the solution to extend to much larger radius. This scenario is discussed and, for the Crab Nebula, the range of validity of the MHD solution is compared with the radius at which the flow appears to terminate. For sufficiently high particle densities, it is shown that a low frequency entropy wave can propagate out to the termination point. In this case, the ‘termination shock’ itself must be responsible for dissipating the wave.This paper is dedicated to Don Melrose on his 60th birthday.

scholarly journals Multi-D magnetohydrodynamic modelling of pulsar wind nebulae: recent progress and open questions

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Olmi ◽  
L. Del Zanna ◽  
E. Amato ◽  
N. Bucciantini ◽  
A. Mignone
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Dissipation Process ◽  
Tearing Instability ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula

In the last decade, the relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modelling of pulsar wind nebulae, and of the Crab nebula in particular, has been highly successful, with many of the observed dynamical and emission properties reproduced down to the finest detail. Here, we critically discuss the results of some of the most recent studies: namely the investigation of the origin of the radio emitting particles and the quest for the acceleration sites of particles of different energies along the termination shock, by using wisp motions as a diagnostic tool; the study of the magnetic dissipation process in high magnetization nebulae by means of new long-term three-dimensional simulations of the pulsar wind nebula evolution; the investigation of the relativistic tearing instability in thinning current sheets, leading to fast reconnection events that might be at the origin of the Crab nebula gamma-ray flares.

scholarly journals PeV Emission of the Crab Nebula: Constraints on the Proton Content in Pulsar Wind and Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Ruo-Yu Liu ◽  
Xiang-Yu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Content ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Ultrahigh Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Air Shower ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula ◽  
Pulsar Winds ◽  
Cosmic Ray Flux

Abstract Recently, two photons from the Crab Nebula with energy of approximately 1 PeV were detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), opening an ultrahigh-energy window for studying pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). Remarkably, the LHAASO spectrum at the highest-energy end shows a possible hardening, which could indicate the presence of a new component. A two-component scenario with a main electron component and a secondary proton component has been proposed to explain the whole spectrum of the Crab Nebula, requiring a proton energy of 1046–1047 erg remaining in the present Crab Nebula. In this paper, we study the energy content of relativistic protons in pulsar winds using the LHAASO data of the Crab Nebula, considering the effect of diffusive escape of relativistic protons. Depending on the extent of the escape of relativistic protons, the total energy of protons lost in the pulsar wind could be 10–100 times larger than that remaining in the nebula presently. We find that the current LHAASO data allow up to (10–50)% of the spindown energy of pulsars being converted into relativistic protons. The escaping protons from PWNe could make a considerable contribution to the cosmic-ray flux of 10–100 PeV. We also discuss the leptonic scenario for the possible spectral hardening at PeV energies.

scholarly journals Dust masses and grain size distributions of a sample of Galactic pulsar wind nebulae

2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (4) ◽  
pp. 6020-6031 ◽  
Author(s):  
F D Priestley ◽  
M J Barlow ◽  
I De Looze ◽  
H Chawner
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Synchrotron Source ◽  
Total Dust ◽  
Dust Mass ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
The Crab Nebula

ABSTRACT We calculate dust spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a range of grain sizes and compositions, using physical properties appropriate for five pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) from which dust emission associated with the ejecta has been detected. By fitting the observed dust SED with our models, with the number of grains of different sizes as the free parameters, we are able to determine the grain size distribution and total dust mass in each PWN. We find that all five PWNe require large ($\ge 0.1 \, {\rm \mu m}$) grains to make up the majority of the dust mass, with strong evidence for the presence of micron-sized or larger grains. Only two PWNe contain non-negligible quantities of small ($\lt 0.01 \, {\rm \mu m}$) grains. The size distributions are generally well-represented by broken power laws, although our uncertainties are too large to rule out alternative shapes. We find a total dust mass of $0.02\rm {-}0.28 \, {\rm M}_\odot$ for the Crab Nebula, depending on the composition and distance from the synchrotron source, in agreement with recent estimates. For three objects in our sample, the PWN synchrotron luminosity is insufficient to power the observed dust emission, and additional collisional heating is required, either from warm, dense gas as found in the Crab Nebula, or higher temperature shocked material. For G54.1+0.3, the dust is heated by nearby OB stars rather than the PWN. Inferred dust masses vary significantly depending on the details of the assumed heating mechanism, but in all cases large mass fractions of micron-sized grains are required.

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