arXiv subjects

G. G. Pavlov

Publications and source records attributed to G. G. Pavlov.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

XMM-Newton Observations of Two Candidate Supernova Remnants

Candidate supernova remnants G23.5+0.1 and G25.5+0.0 were observed by XMM-Newton in the course of a snap-shot survey of plerionic and composite SNRs in the Galactic plane. In the field of G23.5+0.1, we detected an extended source, ~3' in diameter, which we tentatively interpret as a pulsar-wind nebula (PWN) of the middle-aged radio pulsar B1830-08. Our analysis suggests an association between PSR B1830-08 and the surrounding diffuse radio emission. If the radio emission is due to the SNR, then the pulsar must be significantly younger than its characteristic age. Alternatively, the radio emission may come from a relic PWN. In the field of G25.5+0.0, which contains the extended TeV source HESS J1837-069, we detected the recently discovered young high-energy pulsar J1838-0655 embedded in a PWN with extent of 1.3'. We also detected another PWN candidate (AX J1837.3-0652) with an extent of 2' and unabsorbed luminosity L_(2-10 keV) ~ 4 x 10^33 erg/s at d=7 kpc. The third X-ray source, located within the extent of the HESS J1837-069, has a peculiar extended radio counterpart, possibly a radio galaxy with a double nucleus or a microquasar. We did not find any evidence of the SNR emission in the G25.5+0.0 field. We provide detailed multiwavelength analysis and identifications of other field sources and discuss robustness of the G25.5+0.0 and G23.5+0.1 classifications as SNRs. (abstract abridged)

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Chandra Observations of the High-Magnetic-Field Radio Pulsar J1718-3718

High-magnetic-field pulsars represent an important class of objects for studying the relationship between magnetars and radio pulsars. Here we report on four Chandra observations of the high-magnetic-field pulsar J1718-3718 ($B=7.4\times10^{13}$\,G) taken in 2009 as well as on a re-analysis of 2002 Chandra observations of the region. We also report an improved radio position for this pulsar based on ATCA observations. We detect X-ray pulsations at the pulsar's period in the 2009 data, with pulsed fraction 52%$\pm$13% in the 0.8--2.0 keV band. We find that the X-ray pulse is aligned with the radio pulse. The data from 2002 and 2009 show consistent spectra and fluxes; a merged overall spectrum is well fit by a blackbody of temperature $186^{+19}_{-18}$\,eV, slightly higher than predicted by standard cooling models, however, the best-fit neutron star atmosphere model is consistent with standard cooling. We find the bolometric luminosity $L^{\infty}_{\rm bb}=4^{+5}_{-2} \times10^{32}$\,erg\,s$^{-1}\sim0.3\dot{E}$, for a distance of 4.5 kpc. We compile measurements of the temperatures of all X-ray detected high-$B$ pulsars as well as those of low-$B$ radio pulsars and find evidence for the former being on average hotter than the latter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

X-ray Stripes in Tycho's Supernova Remant: Synchrotron Footprints of a Nonlinear Cosmic Ray-driven Instability

High-resolution Chandra observations of Tycho's SNR have revealed several sets of quasi-steady, high-emissivity, nearly-parallel X-ray stripes in some localized regions of the SNR. These stripes are most likely the result of cosmic-ray (CR) generated magnetic turbulence at the SNR blast wave. However, for the amazingly regular pattern of these stripes to appear requires the simultaneous action of a number of shock-plasma phenomena and is not predicted by most models of magnetic field amplification. A consistent explanation of these stripes yields information on the complex nonlinear plasma processes connecting efficient CR acceleration and magnetic field fluctuations in strong collisionless shocks. The nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (NL-DSA) model described here, which includes magnetic field amplification from a cosmic-ray current driven instability, does predict stripes consistent with the synchrotron emission observations of Tycho's SNR. We argue that the local ambient mean magnetic field geometry determines the orientation of the stripes and therefore it can be reconstructed with the high resolution X-ray imaging. The estimated maximum energy of the CR protons responsible for the stripes is $\sim 10^{15}$\,eV. Furthermore, the model predicts that a specific X-ray polarization pattern, with a polarized fraction ~ 50%, accompanies the stripes, which can be tested with future X-ray polarimeter missions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Absorption Features in Spectra of Magnetized Neutron Stars

The X-ray spectra of some magnetized isolated neutron stars (NSs) show absorption features with equivalent widths (EWs) of 50 - 200 eV, whose nature is not yet well known. To explain the prominent absorption features in the soft X-ray spectra of the highly magnetized (B ~ 10^{14} G) X-ray dim isolated NSs (XDINSs), we theoretically investigate different NS local surface models, including naked condensed iron surfaces and partially ionized hydrogen model atmospheres, with semi-infinite and thin atmospheres above the condensed surface. We also developed a code for computing light curves and integral emergent spectra of magnetized neutron stars with various temperature and magnetic field distributions over the NS surface. We compare the general properties of the computed and observed light curves and integral spectra for XDINS RBS\,1223 and conclude that the observations can be explained by a thin hydrogen atmosphere above the condensed iron surface, while the presence of a strong toroidal magnetic field component on the XDINS surface is unlikely. We suggest that the harmonically spaced absorption features in the soft X-ray spectrum of the central compact object (CCO) 1E 1207.4-5209 (hereafter 1E 1207) correspond to peaks in the energy dependence of the free-free opacity in a quantizing magnetic field, known as quantum oscillations. To explore observable properties of these quantum oscillations, we calculate models of hydrogen NS atmospheres with B ~ 10^{10} - 10^{11} G (i.e., electron cyclotron energy E_{c,e} ~ 0.1 - 1 keV) and T_eff = 1 - 3 MK. Such conditions are thought to be typical for 1E 1207. We show that observable features at the electron cyclotron harmonics with EWs \approx 100 - 200 eV can arise due to these quantum oscillations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Optical-uv spectrum and proper motion of the middle-aged pulsar b1055-52

PSRB1055-52 is a middle-aged (~535 kyr) radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray pulsar showing X-ray thermal emission from the neutron star (NS) surface. A candidate optical counterpart to PSRB1055-52 was proposed by Mignani and coworkers based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations performed in 1996, in one spectral band only. We report on HST observations of this field carried out in 2008, in four spectral bands. The astrometric and photometric analyses of these data confirm the identification of the proposed candidate as the pulsar's optical counterpart. Similarly to other middle-aged pulsars, its optical-UV spectrum can be described by the sum of a power-law (PLO) component, presumably emitted from the pulsar magnetosphere, and a Rayleigh-Jeans (RJ) component emitted from the NS surface. The spectral index of the PLO component, alpha_O=1.05+/-0.34, is larger than for other pulsars with optical counterparts. The RJ component, with the brightness temperature TO=(0.66+/-0.10) d_350**2 R_O,13**-2 MK (where d_350 and R_O,13 are the distance to the pulsar in units of 350 pc and the radius of the emitting area in units of 13 km), shows a factor of 4 excess with respect to the extrapolation of the X-ray thermal component into the UV-optical. This hints that the RJ component is emitted from a larger, colder area, and suggests that the distance to the pulsar is smaller than previously thought. From the absolute astrometry of the HST images we measured the pulsar coordinates with a position accuracy of 0.15". From the comparison with previous observations we measured the pulsar proper motion, mu = 42+/-5 mas/yr, which corresponds to a transverse velocity V_t = (70+/-8) d_350 km/s.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

New X-ray observations of the Geminga pulsar wind nebula

Previous observations of the middle-aged pulsar Geminga with XMM-Newton and Chandra have shown an unusual pulsar wind nebula (PWN), with a 20" long central (axial) tail directed opposite to the pulsar's proper motion and two 2' long, bent lateral (outer) tails. Here we report on a deeper (78 ks) Chandra observation and a few additional XMM-Newton observations of the Geminga PWN. The new Chandra observation has shown that the axial tail, which includes up to three brighter blobs, extends at least 50" (i.e., 0.06 d_{250} pc) from the pulsar. It also allowed us to image the patchy outer tails and the emission in the immediate vicinity of the pulsar with high resolution. The PWN luminosity, L_{0.3-8 keV} ~ 3\times 10^{29} d_{250}^2 erg/s, is lower than the pulsar's magnetospheric luminosity by a factor of 10. The spectra of the PWN elements are rather hard (photon index ~ 1). Comparing the two Chandra images, we found evidence of PWN variability, including possible motion of the blobs along the axial tail. The X-ray PWN is the synchrotron radiation from relativistic particles of the pulsar wind; its morphology is connected with the supersonic motion of Geminga. We speculate that the outer tails are either (1) a sky projection of the limb-brightened boundary of a shell formed in the region of contact discontinuity, where the wind bulk flow is decelerated by shear instability, or (2) polar outflows from the pulsar bent by the ram pressure from the ISM. In the former case, the axial tail may be a jet emanating along the pulsar's spin axis, perhaps aligned with the direction of motion. In the latter case, the axial tail may be the shocked pulsar wind collimated by the ram pressure.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Quantum nature of cyclotron harmonics in thermal spectra of neutron stars

Some isolated neutron stars show harmonically spaced absorption features in their thermal soft X-ray spectra. The interpretation of the features as a cyclotron line and its harmonics has been suggested, but the usual explanation of the harmonics as caused by relativistic effects fails because the relativistic corrections are extremely small in this case. We suggest that the features correspond to the peaks in the energy dependence of the free-free opacity in a quantizing magnetic field, known as quantum oscillations. The peaks arise when the transitions to new Landau levels become allowed with increasing the photon energy; they are strongly enhanced by the square-root singularities in the phase-space density of quantum states in the case when the free (non-quantized) motion is effectively one-dimensional. To explore observable properties of these quantum oscillations, we calculate models of hydrogen neutron star atmospheres with B \sim 10^{10} - 10^{11} G (i.e., electron cyclotron energy E_{c,e} = 0.1 - 1 keV) and T_{eff} = 1 - 3 MK. Such conditions are thought to be typical for the so-called central compact objects in supernova remnants, such as 1E 1207.4-5209 in PKS 1209-51/52. We show that observable features at the electron cyclotron harmonics form at moderately large values of the quantization parameter, b_{eff} = E_{c,e}/kT_{eff} = 0.5 - 20. The equivalent widths of the features can reach 100 - 200 eV; they grow with increasing b_{eff} and are lower for higher harmonics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

A dedicated Chandra ACIS observation of the central compact object in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant

We present results of a recent Chandra X-ray Observatory observation of the central compact object (CCO) in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. This observation was obtained in an instrumental configuration that combines a high spatial resolution with a minimum spectral distortion, and it allowed us to search for pulsations with periods longer than 0.68 s. We found no evidence of extended emission associated with the CCO, nor statistically significant pulsations (the 3-sigma upper limit on pulsed fraction is about 16%). The fits of the CCO spectrum with the power-law model yield a large photon index, Gamma\approx 5, and a hydrogen column density larger than that obtained from the SNR spectra. The fits with the blackbody model are statistically unacceptable. Better fits are provided by hydrogen or helium neutron star atmosphere models, with the best-fit effective temperature kT_{eff}^\infty \approx 0.2 keV, but they require a small star's radius, R = 4 - 5.5 km, and a low mass, M < 0.8 M_sol. A neutron star cannot have so small radius and mass, but the observed emission might emerge from an atmosphere of a strange quark star. More likely, the CCO could be a neutron star with a nonuniform surface temperature and a low surface magnetic field (the so-called anti-magnetar), similar to three other CCOs for which upper limits on period derivative have been established. The bolometric luminosity, L_{bol}^\infty \sim 6\times 10^{33} erg s^{-1}, estimated from the fits with the hydrogen atmosphere models, is consistent with the standard neutron star cooling for the CCO age of 330 yr. The origin of the surface temperature nonuniformity remains to be understood; it might be caused by anisotropic heat conduction in the neutron star crust with very strong toroidal magnetic fields.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Chandra Observation of Quiescent Low-Mass X-ray Binaries in the Globular Cluster NGC 6304

This paper presents the analysis of candidate quiescent low mass xray binarie (qLMXBs) observed during a short Chandra/ACIS observation of the globular cluster (GC) NGC 6304. Two out of the three candidate qLMXBs of this cluster, XMMU 171433-292747 and XMMU 171421-292917, lie within the field of view. This permits comparison with the discovery observation of these sources. The one in the GC core -- XMMU 171433-292747 -- is spatially resolved into two separate X-ray sources, one of which is consistent with a pure H-atmosphere qLMXB, and the other is an X-ray power-law spectrum source. These two spectral components separately account for those observed from XMMU 171433-292747 in its discovery observation. We find that the observed flux and spectral parameters of the H-atmosphere spectral components are consistent with the previous observation, as expected from a qLMXB powered by deep crustal heating. XMMU 171421-292917 also has neutron star atmosphere spectral parameters consistent with those in the XMM-Newton observation and the observed flux has decreased by a factor 0.54^{+0.30}_{-0.24}.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2009

Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the Chandra Era

Pulsar winds shocked in the ambient medium produce spectacular nebulae observable from the radio through gamma-rays. The shape and the spectrum of a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) depend on the angular distribution, magnetization and energy spectrum of the wind streaming from the pulsar magnetosphere, as well as on the pulsar velocity and the properties of the ambient medium. The advent of Chandra, with its unprecedented angular resolution and high sensitivity, has allowed us not only to detect many new PWNe, but also study their spatial and spectral structure and dynamics, which has significantly advanced our understanding of these objects. Here we overview recent observational results on PWNe, with emphasis on Chandra observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2009

Chandra observation of the relativistic binary J1906+0746

PSR J1906+0746 is a 112-kyr-old radio pulsar in a tight relativistic binary with a compact high-mass companion, at the distance of about 5 kpc. We observed this unique system with the Chandra ACIS detector for 31.6 ks. Surprisingly, not a single photon was detected within the 3" radius from the J1906+0746 radio position. For a plausible range of hydrogen column densities, n_H=(0.5-1)\times10^{22} cm^{-2}, the nondetection corresponds to the 90% upper limit of (3-5)\times10^{30} erg s^{-1} on the unabsorbed 0.5-8 keV luminosity for the power-law model with Gamma=1.0-2.0, and ~10^{32} erg s^{-1} on the bolometric luminosity of the thermal emission from the NS surface. The inferred limits are the lowest known for pulsars with spin-down properties similar to those of PSR J1906+0746. We have also tentatively detected a puzzling extended structure which looks like a tilted ring with a radius of 1.6' centered on the pulsar. The measured 0.5-8 keV flux of the feature, 3.1\times10^{-14} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}, implies an unabsorbed luminosity of 1.2\times10^{32} erg s^{-1} (4.5\times10^{-4} of the pulsar's spin-down power). Although all conventional interpretations of the ring appear to be problematic, the pulsar-wind nebula with an unusually underluminous pulsar remains the most viable interpretation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2008

Detection of X-ray Emission from the Very Old Pulsar J0108-1431

PSR J0108-1431 is a nearby, 170 Myr old, very faint radio pulsar near the "pulsar death line" in the P-Pdot diagram. We observed the pulsar field with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and detected a point source (53 counts in a 30 ks exposure, energy flux (9+/-2)\times 10^{-15} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1} in the 0.3-8 keV band) close to the radio pulsar position. Based on the large X-ray/optical flux ratio at the X-ray source position, we conclude that the source is the X-ray counterpart of PSR J0108-1431.The pulsar spectrum can be described by a power-law model with photon index Gamma \approx 2.2 and luminosity L_{0.3-8 keV} \sim 2\times 10^{28} d_{130}^2 ergs s^{-1}, or by a blackbody model with the temperature kT\approx 0.28 keV and bolometric luminosity L_{bol} \sim 1.3\times 10^{28} d_{130}^2 ergs s^{-1}, for a plausible hydrogen column density NH = 7.3\times 10^{19} cm^{-2} (d_{130}=d/130 pc). The pulsar converts \sim 0.4% of its spin-down power into the X-ray luminosity, i.e., its X-ray efficiency is higher than for most younger pulsars. From the comparison of the X-ray position with the previously measured radio positions, we estimated the pulsar proper motion of 0.2 arcsec yr^{-1} (V_\perp \sim 130 d_{130} km s^{-1}), in the south-southeast direction.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

A possible optical counterpart to the old nearby pulsar J0108-1431

The multi-wavelength study of old (>100 Myr) radio pulsars holds the key to understanding the long-term evolution of neutron stars, including the advanced stages of neutron star cooling and the evolution of the magnetosphere. Optical/UV observations are particularly useful for such studies because they allow one to explore both thermal and non-thermal emission processes. In particular, studying the optical/UV emission constrains temperature of the bulk of the neutron star surface, too cold to be measured in X-ray observations.Aim of this work is to identify the optical counterpart of the very old (166 Myr) radio pulsar J0108-1431. We have re-analyzed our original VLT observations (Mignani et al. 2003), where a very faint object was tentatively detected close to the radio position, near the edge of a field galaxy. We found that the backward extrapolation of the PSR J0108-1431 proper motion recently measured by CHANDRA(Pavlov et al. 2008) nicely fits the position of this object. Based on that, we propose it as a viable candidate for the optical counterpart to PSR J0108-1431. The object fluxes (U =26.4+/-0.3; B =27.9; V >27.8) are consistent with a thermal spectrum with a brightness temperature of 9X10^4 K (for R = 13 km at a distance of 130 pc), emitted from the bulk of the neutron star surface. New optical observations are required to confirm the optical identification of PSR J0108-1431 and measure its spectrum.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Young energetic PSR J1617-5055, its underluminous nebula and unidentified TeV source HESS J1616-508

We observed the young energetic pulsar J1617-5055 with the Chandra ACIS detector for 60 ks. In addition to the pulsar, the X-ray images show a faint pulsar-wind nebula (PWN) seen up to ~1' from the pulsar. Deconvolution and reconstruction of the image reveal a brighter compact PWN component of ~1'' size, possibly with a jet-torus morphology. The PWN spectrum fits an absorbed power-law (PL) model with the photon index Gamma=1.5. The total PWN luminosity in the 0.5-8 keV band, L_{pwn}=3.2\times10^{33} ergs s^{-1} for d=6.5 kpc, is a fraction of 2\times 10^{-4} of the pulsar's spin-down power and a fraction of 0.2 of the pulsar's X-ray luminosity, which is a factor of 20 lower than one would expect from an average empirical relation found for a sample of PWNe observed with Chandra. The pulsar's spectrum can be described by an absorbed PL with n_{H}=3.5\times10^{22} cm^{-2} and Gamma=1.1, harder than any other pulsar spectrum reliably measured in the soft X-ray band. This non-thermal emission is 50% pulsed showing one peak per period. We have also investigated a possible connection between J1617 and the extended TeV source HESS J1616-508 whose center is located about 10' west of the pulsar. We find no preferential extension of the X-ray PWN toward the TeV source. Therefore, the Chandra data do not provide conclusive evidence for PSR J1617-5055 and HESS J1616-508 association. We have also analyzed archival X-ray, radio, and IR data on the HESS J1616-508 region and found traces of diffuse emission (resembling a shell in the radio) coinciding with the central part of HESS J1616-508. We speculate that the TeV source may be multiple, with most of the emission coming from an unknown SNR or a star-forming region, while some fraction of the TeV emission still may be attributed to the J1617 PWN.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

X-ray Observations of Parsec-Scale Tails behind Two Middle-Aged Pulsars

Chandra and XMM-Newton resolved extremely long tails behind two middle-aged pulsars, J1509-5850 and J1740+1000. The tail of PSR J1509-5850 is discernible up to 5.6' from the pulsar (6.5 pc at a distance of 4 kpc), with a flux of 2*10^{-13} erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} in 0.5-8 keV. The tail spectrum fits an absorbed power-law (PL) model with the photon index of 2.3\pm0.2, corresponding to the 0.5-8 keV luminosity of 1*10^{33} ergs s^{-1}, for n_H= 2.1*10^{22} cm^{-2}. The tail of PSR J1740+1000 is firmly detected up to 5' (2 pc at a 1.4 kpc distance), with a flux of 6*10^{-14} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1} in 0.4-10 keV. The PL fit yields photon index of 1.4-1.5 and n_H=1*10^{21} cm^{-2}. The large extent of the tails suggests that the bulk flow in the tails starts as mildly relativistic downstream of the termination shock, and then gradually decelerates. Within the observed extent of the J1509-5850 tail, the average flow speed exceeds 5,000 km s^{-1}, and the equipartition magnetic field is a few times 10^{-5} G. For the J1740+1000 tail, the equipartition field is a factor of a few lower. The harder spectrum of the J1740+1000 tail implies either less efficient cooling or a harder spectrum of injected electrons. For the high-latitude PSR J1740+1000, the orientation of the tail on the sky shows that the pulsar is moving toward the Galactic plane, which means that it was born from a halo-star progenitor. The comparison between the J1509 and J1740 tails and the X-ray tails of other pulsars shows that the X-ray radiation efficiency correlates poorly with the pulsar spin-down luminosity or age. The X-ray efficiencies of the ram-pressure confined pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are systematically higher than those of PWNe around slowly moving pulsars with similar spin-down parameters.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Isolated X-ray -- infrared sources in the region of interaction of the supernova remnant IC 443 with a molecular cloud

The nature of the extended hard X-ray source XMMU J061804.3+222732 and its surroundings is investigated using XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Spitzer observations. This source is located in an interaction region of the IC 443 supernova remnant with a neighboring molecular cloud. The X-ray emission consists of a number of bright clumps embedded in an extended structured non-thermal X-ray nebula larger than 30" in size. Some clumps show evidence for line emission at ~1.9 keV and ~3.7 keV at the 99% confidence level. Large-scale diffuse radio emission of IC 443 passes over the source region, with an enhancement near the source. An IR source of about 14" x 7" size is prominent in the 24 um, 70 um, and 2.2 um bands, adjacent to a putative Si K-shell X-ray line emission region. The observed IR/X-ray morphology and spectra are consistent with those expected for J/C-type shocks of different velocities driven by fragmented supernova ejecta colliding with the dense medium of a molecular cloud. The IR emission of the source detected by Spitzer can be attributed to both continuum emission from an HII region created by the ejecta fragment and line emission excited by shocks. This source region in IC 443 may be an example of a rather numerous population of hard X-ray/IR sources created by supernova explosions in the dense environment of star-forming regions. Alternative Galactic and extragalactic interpretations of the observed source are also discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Chandra Observation of PSR B1823-13 and its Pulsar Wind Nebula

We report on an observation of the Vela-like pulsar B1823-13 and its synchrotron nebula with Chandra.The pulsar's spectrum fits a power-law model with a photon index Gamma_PSR=2.4 for the plausible hydrogen column density n_H=10^{22} cm^{-2}, corresponding to the luminosity L_PSR=8*10^{31} ergs s^{-1} in the 0.5-8 keV band, at a distance of 4 kpc. The pulsar radiation likely includes magnetospheric and thermal components, but they cannot be reliably separated because of the small number of counts detected and strong interstellar absorption. The pulsar is surrounded by a compact, 25''x 10'', pulsar wind nebula (PWN) elongated in the east-west direction, which includes a brighter inner component, 7''x 3'', elongated in the northeast-southwest direction. The slope of the compact PWN spectrum is Gamma_comp=1.3, and the 0.5-8 keV luminosity is L_comp~3*10^{32} ergs s^{-1}. The compact PWN is surrounded by asymmetric diffuse emission (extended PWN) seen up to at least 2.4' south of the pulsar, with a softer spectrum (Gamma_ext=1.9), and the 0.5-8 keV luminosity L_ext~10^{33}-10^{34} ergs s^{-1}. We also measured the pulsar's proper motion using archival VLA data: μ_α=23.0+/-2.5 mas yr^{-1}, μ_δ=-3.9+/-3.3 mas yr^{-1}, which corresponds to the transverse velocity v_perp=440 km s^{-1}. The direction of the proper motion is approximately parallel to the elongation of the compact PWN, but it is nearly perpendicular to that of the extended PWN and to the direction towards the center of the bright VHE gamma-ray source HESS J1825-137, which is likely powered by PSR B1823-13.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

X-ray emission from PSR J1809-1917 and its pulsar wind nebula, possibly associated with the TeV gamma-ray source HESS J1809-193

We detected X-ray emission from the 50-kyr-old pulsar J1809-1917 and resolved its pulsar wind nebula (PWN) with Chandra. The pulsar spectrum fits PL+BB model with the photon index of 1.2 and the BB temperature of 2 MK for n_{H}=0.7\times 10^{22} cm^{-2}. The luminosities are(4\pm 1)\times 10^{31} ergs s^{-1} for the PL component (in the 0.5-8 keV band) and ~1\times 10^{32} ergs s^{-1} for the BB component (bolometric) at a plausible distance of 3.5 kpc. The bright inner PWN component of a 3''\times12'' size is elongated in the north-south direction, with the pulsar close to its south end. This component is immersed in a larger (20''\times40''), similarly elongated outer PWN component of lower surface brightness. The elongated shape of the compact PWN can be explained by the ram pressure confinement of the pulsar wind due to the supersonic motion of the pulsar. The PWN spectrum fits a PL model with photon index of 1.4\pm0.1 and 0.5-8 keV luminosity of 4\times10^{32} ergs s^{-1}. The compact PWN appears to be inside a large-scale (~4'\times4') emission more extended to the south of the pulsar, i.e. in the direction of the alleged pulsar motion. To explain the extended X-ray emission ahead of the moving pulsar, one has to invoke strong intrinsic anisotropy of the pulsar wind or assume that this emission comes from a relic PWN swept by the asymmetrical reverse SNR shock. The pulsar and its PWN are located within the extent of the unidentified TeV source HESS J1809-193 whose brightest part is offset by ~8' to the south of the pulsar, i.e. in the same direction as the large-scale X-ray emission. Although the association between J1809-1917 and HESS J1809-193 is plausible, an alternative source of relativistic electrons powering HESS J1809-193 might be the serendipitously discovered X-ray source CXOU J180940.7-192544.

astro-ph↗