An unusual pulsar wind nebula associated with PSR B0906-49

Abstract

We report on Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of the ~10^5 yr old pulsar PSR B0906-49. In an image containing only off-pulse emission, we find a weak, slightly extended source coincident with the pulsar's position, which we argue is best interpreted as a pulsar wind nebula (PWN). A trail of emission extending behind the pulsar aligns with the major axis of the PWN, and implies that the pulsar is moving north-west with projected velocity ~60 km/s, consistent with its scintillation speed. The consequent density we infer for the pulsar's environment is >2 cm^(-3), so that the PWN around PSR B0906-49 is confined mainly by the high density of its surroundings rather than by the pulsar's velocity. Other properties of the system such as the PWN's low luminosity and apparent steep spectrum, and the pulsar's large characteristic age, lead us to suggest that this nebula is substantially different from other radio PWNe, and may represent a transition between young pulsars with prominent radio PWNe and older pulsars for which no radio PWN has been detected. We recommend that further searches for radio PWNe should be made as here: at low frequencies and with the pulsed emission subtracted.