An X-ray Nebula Associated with the Millisecond Pulsar B1957+20
Astrophysics
2009-11-07 v1
Abstract
We have detected an x-ray nebula around the binary millisecond pulsar B1957+20. A narrow tail, corresponding to the shocked pulsar wind, is seen interior to the known H-alpha bow shock and proves the long-held assumption that the rotational energy of millisecond pulsars is dissipated through relativistic winds. Unresolved x-ray emission likely represents the shock where the winds of the pulsar and its companion collide. This emission indicates that the efficiency with which relativistic particles are accelerated in the post shock flow is similar to that for young pulsars, despite the shock proximity and much weaker surface magnetic field of this millisecond pulsar.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0302588,
title = {An X-ray Nebula Associated with the Millisecond Pulsar B1957+20},
author = {B. W. Stappers and B. M. Gaensler and V. M. Kaspi and M. van der Klis and W. H. G. Lewin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0302588},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
11 pages, 3 figures, Published in 28 February 2003 issue of Science