scholarly journals Pulsar Wind Nebulae: On their growing diversity and association with highly magnetized neutron stars

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S291) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar Safi-Harb

AbstractThe 1968 discovery of the Crab and Vela pulsars in their respective supernova remnants (SNRs) confirmed Baade and Zwicky's 1934 prediction that supernovae form neutron stars. Observations of Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe), particularly with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, have in the past decade opened a new window to focus on the neutron stars' relativistic winds, study their interaction with their hosting SNRs, and find previously missed pulsars. While the Crab has been thought for decades to represent the prototype of PWNe, we now know of different classes of neutron stars and PWNe whose properties differ from the Crab. In this talk, I review the current status of neutron stars/PWNe-SNRs associations, and highlight the growing diversity of PWNe with an X-ray eye on their association with highly magnetized neutron stars. I conclude with an outlook to future high-energy studies.

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S291) ◽  
pp. 483-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar Safi-Harb ◽  
Gilles Ferrand ◽  
Heather Matheson

AbstractMotivated by the wealth of past, existing, and upcoming X-ray and gamma-ray missions, we have developed the first public database of high-energy observations of all known Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs): http://www.physics.umanitoba.ca/snr/SNRcat. The catalogue links to, and complements, other existing related catalogues, including Dave Green's radio SNRs catalogue. We here highlight the features of the high-energy catalogue, including allowing users to filter or sort data for various purposes. The catalogue is currently targeted to Galactic SNR observations with X-ray and gamma-ray missions, and is timely with the upcoming launch of X-ray missions (including Astro-H in 2014). We are currently developing the existing database to include an up-to-date Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe)-dedicated webpage, with the goal to provide a global view of PWNe and their associated neutron stars/pulsars. This extensive database will be useful to both theorists to apply their models or design numerical simulations, and to observers to plan future observations or design new instruments. We welcome input and feedback from the SNR/PWN/neutron stars community.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 91-92
Author(s):  
Yves A. Gallant

AbstractI review the current status of our observational knowledge of prominent classes of particle accelerators in the Galaxy, namely shell-type supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsar wind nebulae. I highlight in particular the contribution of the recent improvement in sensitivity of very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray observations, which are currently the most direct probe of particle acceleration in the Galaxy up to energies of several hundreds of TeV.Shell-type SNRs have long been proposed as sources of the Galactic cosmic rays. In recent years, X-ray observations have revealed very thin, non-thermal rims in many young SNRs, and I discuss the implications of these observations for magnetic field amplification and the maximum particle energy attainable by acceleration at the blast wave. I then review the current status of the evidence for accelerated nuclei in these objects, and summarise current uncertainties.The most numerous class of identified Galactic VHE gamma-ray sources is currently that of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). The emission from these objects is generally assumed to be predominantly leptonic, and I outline the new information provided by VHE gamma-ray observations beyond what could be inferred from observations of synchrotron emission.


2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 221-224
Author(s):  
John R. Dickel ◽  
Shiya Wang

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 644 ◽  
pp. L4
Author(s):  
P. Bordas ◽  
X. Zhang

Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) produced from supersonic runaway pulsars can render extended X-ray structures in the form of tails and prominent jets. In this Letter, we report on the analysis of ∼130 ks observations of the PWN around PSR J1135–6055 that were obtained with the Chandra satellite. The system displays bipolar jet-like structures of uncertain origin, a compact nebula around the pulsar likely formed by the bow shock ahead of it, and a trailing tail produced by the pulsar fast proper motion. The spectral and morphological properties of these structures reveal strong similarities with the PWNe in other runaway pulsars, such as PSR J1509–5850 and Geminga. We discuss their physical origin considering both canonical PWN and jet formation models as well as alternative scenarios that can also yield extended jet-like features following the escape of high-energy particles into the ambient magnetic field.


2004 ◽  
Vol 617 (1) ◽  
pp. 480-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Cheng ◽  
Ronald E. Taam ◽  
W. Wang

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 1460162 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICCOLÒ BUCCIANTINI

Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) are ideal astrophysical laboratories where high energy relativistic phenomena can be investigated. They are close, well resolved in our observations, and the knowledge derived in their study has a strong impact in many other fields, from AGNs to GRBs. Yet there are still unresolved issues, that prevent us from a full clear understanding of these objects. The lucky combination of high resolution X-ray imaging and numerical codes to handle the outflow and dynamical properties of relativistic MHD, has opened a new avenue of investigation that has lead to interesting progresses in the last years. Despite all of this, we do not understand yet how particles are accelerated, and the functioning of the pulsar wind and pulsar magnetosphere, that power PWNe. I will review what is now commonly known as the MHD paradigm, and in particular I will focus on various approaches that have been and are currently used to model these systems. For each I will highlight its advantages, limitations, and degree of applicability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2103 (1) ◽  
pp. 012020
Author(s):  
K P Levenfish ◽  
G A Ponomaryov ◽  
A E Petrov ◽  
A M Bykov ◽  
A M Krassilchtchikov

Abstract We show that even the slow (subsonic) motion of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) relative to an ambient matter has a significant impact on their observables. The motion changes the appearance of nebulae on X-ray images, comparing to what would be observed for a nebula at rest. Accounting for the relative motion is necessary to avoid misinterpretation of the structure of the nebulae when analyzing their X-ray morphology. The motion also introduces some extra time scales in variability of non-thermal high-energy emission of PWNe and allows to reproduce a number of their structures that are not explained by stationary nebula models.


2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Camilo

I review the results of radio and X-ray searches for pulsations from young neutron stars, emphasizing work accomplished in the last five years. I cover undirected searches, as well as directed searches of pulsar wind nebulae, EGRET γ-ray sources, and also the search for pulsations from “isolated neutron stars” and “central compact objects”.


2018 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. A110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Tao Zhu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jun Fang

Aims. The nonthermal radiative properties of 18 pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are studied in the 1D leptonic model. Methods. The dynamical and radiative evolution of a PWN in a nonradiative supernova remnant are self-consistently investigated in this model. The leptons (electrons/positrons) are injected with a broken power-law form, and nonthermal emission from a PWN is mainly produced by time-dependent relativistic leptons through synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton process. Results. Observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of all 18 PWNe are reproduced well, where the indexes of low-energy electron components lie in the range of 1.0–1.8 and those of high-energy electron components in the range of 2.1–3.1. Our results show that FX/Fγ > 10 for young PWNe; 1 <FX/Fγ ≤ 10 for evolved PWNe, except for G292.0+1.8; and FX/Fγ ≤ 1 for mature/old PWNe, except for CTA 1. Moreover, most PWNe are particle-dominated. Statistical analysis for the sample of 14 PWNe further indicate that (1) not all pulsar parameters have correlations with electron injection parameters, but electron maximum energy and PWN magnetic field correlate with the magnetic field at the light cylinder, the potential difference at the polar cap, and the spin-down power; (2) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, bolometric, and synchrotron luminosities, but does not correlate with gamma-ray luminosity; (3) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, and γ-band surface brightness; and (4) the PWN radius and the PWN age negatively correlate with X-ray luminosity, the ratio of X-ray to gamma-ray luminosities, and the synchrotron luminosity.


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