Related papers: Pulsars: Progress, Problems and Prospects
We present a model for magnetic energy dissipation in a pulsar wind nebula. Better understanding of this process is required to assess the likelihood that certain astrophysical transients may be powered by the spin-down of a "millisecond…
Over the last fifty years since the discovery of pulsars, our understanding of where and how pulsars emit the radiation we observe has undergone significant revision. The location and mechanisms of high-energy radiation are intimately tied…
Pulsars, formed during supernova explosions, are known to be sources of relativistic magnetized winds whose interaction with the expanding supernova remnants (SNRs) gives rise to a pulsar wind nebula (PWN). We present spherically symmetric…
A complete set of diagnostic tools aimed at producing synthetic synchrotron emissivity, polarization, and spectral index maps from relativistic MHD simulations is presented. As a first application we consider here the case of the emission…
The Crab Nebula demonstrates that neutron stars can interact with their environments in spectacular fashion, their relativistic winds generating nebulae observable across the electromagnetic spectrum. At many previous conferences,…
We have investigated the relaxation of a hydrostatic hot plasma column containing toroidal magnetic field by the Current-Driven (CD) kink instability as a model of pulsar wind nebulae. In our simulations the CD kink instability is excited…
The emission from the relativistically hot plasmas of high-energy astrophysical synchrotron sources, pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in particular, depends on the level of magnetic fluctuations. Recent observations by the X-ray polarimeter IXPE…
Pulsars show irregularities in their pulsed radio emission that originate from propagation effects and the intrinsic activity of the source. In this work, we investigate the role played by magnetic reconnection and the formation of…
The role pulsar wind nebulae play in producing our locally observed cosmic ray spectrum remains murky, yet intriguing. Pulsar wind nebulae are born and evolve in conjunction with SNRs, which are favored sites of Galactic cosmic ray…
In this paper we give a detailed account of the first 3D relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWN), with parameters most suitable for the Crab Nebula. In order to clarify the new features specific to 3D…
We study the transport of high-energy particles in pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) using three-dimensional MHD (see Porth et al. (2014) for details) and test-particle simulations, as well as a Fokker-Planck particle transport model. The latter…
We develop kinetic plasma models of pulsar magnetospheres with magnetic-field-line-dependent plasma injection that reveal the importance of various magnetosphere regions in regulating the gamma-ray emission. We set different particle…
I summarize the status of pulsar theory, now 35 years after their discovery. Although progress has been made in understanding the relevant processes involved, there are several widely held misconceptions that are inhibiting further…
Bow shock pulsar wind nebulae are observed with a variety of complex morphologies at different wavelengths, most likely due to differences in the magnetic field strength and pulsar wind geometry. Here we present a detailed analysis, showing…
First I emphasize the magnetospheric loop current system induced by the wind activity. Next, I address the formation of the field-aligned electric field. An interesting aspect is the reaction of the inner magnetosphere to an induced…
We present a model for pulsar filaments - a class of narrow X-ray nebulae misaligned with the proper motion, powered by pulsar-generated $e^\pm$. We suggest that cosmic ray-enhanced turbulence drives pitch-angle scattering and dominates…
The author presents a model for variability of the flux and polarization of blazars in which turbulent plasma flowing at a relativistic speed down a jet crosses a standing conical shock. The shock compresses the plasma and accelerates…
The termination shock of a pulsar wind is located roughly where the ram pressure matches that of the surrounding medium. Downstream of the shock, MHD models of the diffuse nebular emission suggest the plasma is weakly magnetized. However,…
In this review we describe recent observational and theoretical developments in our understanding of pulsar winds and pulsar-wind nebulae (PWNe). We put special emphasis on the results from observations of well-characterized PWNe of various…
MHD waves can be responsible for plasma fluctuations and short-term variations of the pulsar emission. We consider the properties of plane and cylindrical waves that can exist in the force-free magnetosphere. Waves are considered by means…