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arXiv · 1211.0347

The helical jet of the Vela Pulsar

Martin Durant·Oleg Kargaltsev·George G. Pavlov·Julia Kropotina·Kseniya Levenfish
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Abstract

We have studied the fascinating dynamics of the nearby Vela pulsar's nebula in a campaign comprising eleven 40ks observations with Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). The deepest yet images revealed the shape, structure, and motion of the 2-arcminute-long pulsar jet. We find that the jet's shape and dynamics are remarkably consistent with that of a steadily turning helix projected on the sky. We discuss possible implications of our results, including free precession of the neutron star and MHD instability scenarios.

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Martin Durant, Oleg Kargaltsev, George G. Pavlov, Julia Kropotina, Kseniya Levenfish. 2012-11-02. The helical jet of the Vela Pulsar. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/763/2/72

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