Related papers: Interactions between Pulsars, Pulsar Nebulae and S…
Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae are among the most significant sources of non-thermal X-rays in the sky, and the closest laboratories where relativistic plasma dynamics and particle acceleration can be investigated. Being strong…
In an effort to better understand the evolution of composite supernova remnants (SNRs) and the eventual fate of relativistic particles injected by their pulsars, we present a multifaceted investigation of the interaction between a pulsar…
Tenuous wind bubbles, which are formed by the spin-down activity of central compact remnants, are relevant in some models of fast radio bursts (FRBs) and super-luminous supernovae. We study their high-energy signatures, focusing on the role…
A summary of X-ray observations of supernova remnants is presented including the explosion fragment A of the Vela SNR, Tycho, N132D, RX J0852-4622, the Crab Nebula and the 'bulls eye', and SN 1987A, high-lighting the progress made with…
Understanding the interaction of dense, cold ejecta clumps with a fast reverse shock, an instance of the "cloud-crushing" problem, is essential to assess whether core-collapse supernovae act as net dust factories or net dust destroyers.…
We present deep images of a region around the Crab nebula made with the VLA, utilizing new imaging and deconvolution algorithms in a search for a faint radio shell. The existence of a high-velocity, hydrogen-rich envelope has been predicted…
The model for pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) as the result of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) downstream flow from a shocked, relativistic pulsar wind has been successful in reproducing many features of the nebulae observed close to the central…
We analyze the pulse shape of the Crab Nebula pulsar in the near-infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands, including previously unpublished ROSAT HRI observations. We show that, in addition to the previously known trend…
Recent X-ray observations have proved to be very effective in detecting previously unknown supernova remnant shells around pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), and in these cases the characteristics of the shell provide further clues on the…
We summarize here the results, most of which are preliminary, of a number of recent observations of the Crab nebula system with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We discuss four different topics: (1) The motion on long (> 1yr) time scales of…
Pulsar wind nebulae are a prominent class of very high energy (E > 0.1 TeV) Galactic sources. Their Gamma-ray spectra are interpreted as due to inverse Compton scattering of ultrarelativistic electrons on the ambient photons, whereas the…
The nebula powered by the Vela pulsar is one of the best examples of an evolved pulsar wind nebula, allowing to access the particle injection history and the interaction with the supernova ejecta. We report on the INTEGRAL discovery of…
After discussion of observational constraints on the nature of the MHD wind coupling between the Crab Pulsar and the Crab Nebula, the theory of transverse relativistic shock structure is reviewed and applied to the interpretation of the…
Pulsars, or more generally rotation powered neutron stars, are excellent factories of antimatter in the Galaxy, in the form of pairs of electrons and positrons. Electrons are initially extracted from the surface of the star by the intense…
The Vela supernova remnant is the closest supernova remnant to Earth containing an active pulsar, the Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45). This pulsar is the archetype of the middle-aged pulsar class and powers a bright pulsar wind nebula (PWN),…
The unusually short durations, high luminosities, and high photon energies of the Crab Nebula gamma-ray flares require relativistic bulk motion of the emitting plasma. We explain the Crab flares as the result of randomly oriented…
CTB 87 (G74.9+1.2) is an evolved supernova remnant (SNR) which hosts a peculiar pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The X-ray peak is offset from that observed in radio and lies towards the edge of the radio nebula. The putative pulsar,…
Recent observations by the ROSAT X-ray satellite of the Vela supernova remnant have revealed, in addition to the previously identified compact nebula, a nearly circular emitting region with a radius of about 4 degrees. The Vela pulsar is…
Recent observations of the Crab Nebula (Rudy et al 2015) have maintained its reputation for high energy astrophysical enlightenment and its use as a testbed for theories of the behaviour of magnetized, relativistic plasma. In particular,…
The Crab supernova remnant has been observed regularly with the stereoscopic system of 5 imaging air Cherenkov telescopes that was part of the High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy (HEGRA) experiment. In total, close to 400 hours of useful data…