662 research outputs found
A supernova remnant coincident with the slow X-ray pulsar AX J1845-0258
We report on Very Large Array observations in the direction of the
recently-discovered slow X-ray pulsar AX J1845-0258. In the resulting images,
we find a 5-arcmin shell of radio emission; the shell is linearly polarized
with a non-thermal spectral index. We class this source as a previously
unidentified, young (< 8000 yr), supernova remnant (SNR), G29.6+0.1, which we
propose is physically associated with AX J1845-0258. The young age of G29.6+0.1
is then consistent with the interpretation that anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs)
are isolated, highly magnetized neutron stars ("magnetars"). Three of the six
known AXPs can now be associated with SNRs; we conclude that AXPs are young
(~<10 000 yr) objects, and that they are produced in at least 5% of
core-collapse supernovae.Comment: 4 pages, 1 embedded EPS file, uses emulateapj.sty. Accepted to ApJ
Letter
A Proper Motion for the Pulsar Wind Nebula G359.23-0.82, "the Mouse," Associated with the Energetic Radio Pulsar J1747-2958
The "Mouse" (PWN G359.23-0.82) is a spectacular bow shock pulsar wind nebula,
powered by the radio pulsar J1747-2958. The pulsar and its nebula are presumed
to have a high space velocity, but their proper motions have not been directly
measured. Here we present 8.5 GHz interferometric observations of the Mouse
nebula with the Very Large Array, spanning a time baseline of 12 yr. We measure
eastward proper motion for PWN G359.23-0.82 (and hence indirectly for PSR
J1747-2958) of 12.9+/-1.8 mas/yr, which at an assumed distance of 5 kpc
corresponds to a transverse space velocity of 306+/-43 km/s. Considering
pressure balance at the apex of the bow shock, we calculate an in situ hydrogen
number density of approximately 1.0(-0.2)(+0.4) cm^(-3) for the interstellar
medium through which the system is traveling. A lower age limit for PSR
J1747-2958 of 163(-20)(+28) kyr is calculated by considering its potential
birth site. The large discrepancy with the pulsar's spin-down age of 25 kyr is
possibly explained by surface dipole magnetic field growth on a timescale ~15
kyr, suggesting possible future evolution of PSR J1747-2958 to a different
class of neutron star. We also argue that the adjacent supernova remnant
G359.1-0.5 is not physically associated with the Mouse system but is rather an
unrelated object along the line of sight.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, emulateapj format. Accepted for publication in
The Astrophysical Journa
Detection of microgauss coherent magnetic fields in a galaxy five billion years ago
Magnetic fields play a pivotal role in the physics of interstellar medium in
galaxies, but there are few observational constraints on how they evolve across
cosmic time. Spatially resolved synchrotron polarization maps at radio
wavelengths reveal well-ordered large-scale magnetic fields in nearby galaxies
that are believed to grow from a seed field via a dynamo effect. To directly
test and characterize this theory requires magnetic field strength and geometry
measurements in cosmologically distant galaxies, which are challenging to
obtain due to the limited sensitivity and angular resolution of current radio
telescopes. Here, we report the cleanest measurements yet of magnetic fields in
a galaxy beyond the local volume, free of the systematics traditional
techniques would encounter. By exploiting the scenario where the polarized
radio emission from a background source is gravitationally lensed by a
foreground galaxy at z = 0.439 using broadband radio polarization data, we
detected coherent G magnetic fields in the lensing disk galaxy as seen 4.6
Gyrs ago, with similar strength and geometry to local volume galaxies. This is
the highest redshift galaxy whose observed coherent magnetic field property is
compatible with a mean-field dynamo origin.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures (including Supplementary Information). Published
in Nature Astronomy on August 28, 201
A search for the radio counterpart of the unidentified gamma-ray source 3EG J1410-6147
We have made radio continuum, HI and X-ray observations in the direction of
the unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1410-6147, using the Australia Telescope
Compact Array and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The observations encompass the
supernova remnant (SNR) G312.4-0.4 and the two young pulsars PSRs J1412-6145
and J1413-6141.
We derive a lower distance limit of 6 kpc to the SNR, although interpretation
of positive velocity features in the HI spectrum may imply the SNR is more
distant than 14 kpc. PSR J1412-6145, with an age of 50 kyr, is the pulsar most
likely associated with SNR G312.4-0.4. X-rays are not detected from either
pulsar and diffuse X-ray emission near the bright western edge of the SNR is
weak. Although there is circumstantial evidence that this western region is a
pulsar wind nebula (PWN), the embedded pulsar PSR J1412-6145 is apparently not
sufficiently powerful to explain the radio enhancement. The origin of the
electron acceleration in this region and of the gamma-rays remain unidentified,
unless the distance to PSR J1413-6141 is at least a factor of 3 lower than its
dispersion measure distance.Comment: 10 pages, plus 5 jpeg figures, MNRAS, in press. Full postscript or
pdf including all figures is available at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~m
Time Variability in the X-ray Nebula Powered by Pulsar B1509-58
We use new and archival Chandra and ROSAT data to study the time variability
of the X-ray emission from the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) powered by PSR B1509-58
on timescales of one week to twelve years. There is variability in the size,
number, and brightness of compact knots appearing within 20" of the pulsar,
with at least one knot showing a possible outflow velocity of ~0.6c (assuming a
distance to the source of 5.2 kpc). The transient nature of these knots may
indicate that they are produced by turbulence in the flows surrounding the
pulsar. A previously identified prominent jet extending 12 pc to the southeast
of the pulsar increased in brightness by 30% over 9 years; apparent outflow of
material along this jet is observed with a velocity of ~0.5c. However, outflow
alone cannot account for the changes in the jet on such short timescales.
Magnetohydrodynamic sausage or kink instabilities are feasible explanations for
the jet variability with timescale of ~1.3-2 years. An arc structure, located
30"-45" north of the pulsar, shows transverse structural variations and appears
to have moved inward with a velocity of ~0.03c over three years. The overall
structure and brightness of the diffuse PWN exterior to this arc and excluding
the jet has remained the same over the twelve year span. The photon indices of
the diffuse PWN and possibly the jet steepen with increasing radius, likely
indicating synchrotron cooling at X-ray energies.Comment: accepted to ApJ, 14 pages, 8 figure
The 69 ms Radio Pulsar Near the Supernova Remnant RCW 103
We report the detection of the radio pulsar counterpart to the 69 ms X-ray
pulsar discovered near the supernova remnant RCW 103 (G332.4-0.4). Our
detection confirms that the pulsations arise from a rotation-powered neutron
star, which we name PSR J1617-5055. The observed barycentric period derivative
confirms that the pulsar has a characteristic age of only 8 kyr, the sixth
smallest of all known pulsars. The unusual apparent youth of the pulsar and its
proximity to a young remnant requires that an association be considered.
Although the respective ages and distances are consistent within substantial
uncertainties, the large inferred pulsar transverse velocity is difficult to
explain given the observed pulsar velocity distribution, the absence of
evidence for a pulsar wind nebula, and the symmetry of the remnant. Rather, we
argue that the objects are likely superposed on the sky; this is reasonable
given the complex area. Without an association, the question of where is the
supernova remnant left behind following the birth of PSR J1617-5055 remains
open. We also discuss a possible association between PSR J1617-5055 and the
gamma-ray source 2CG 333+01. Though an association is energetically plausible,
it is unlikely given that EGRET did not detect 2CG 333+01.Comment: 18 pages, 2 encapsulated Postscript figures, uses AAS LaTeX style
files. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Polarization Gradient Study of Interstellar Medium Turbulence Using The Canadian Galactic Plane Survey
We have investigated the magneto-ionic turbulence in the interstellar medium
through spatial gradients of the complex radio polarization vector in the
Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS). The CGPS data cover 1300 square-degrees,
over the range ,
with an extension to
in the range , and arcminute
resolution at 1420 MHz. Previous studies found a correlation between the
skewness and kurtosis of the polarization gradient and the Mach number of the
turbulence, or assumed this correlation to deduce the Mach number of an
observed turbulent region. We present polarization gradient images of the
entire CGPS dataset, and analyze the dependence of these images on angular
resolution. The polarization gradients are filamentary, and the length of these
filaments is largest towards the Galactic anti-center, and smallest towards the
inner Galaxy. This may imply that small-scale turbulence is stronger in the
inner Galaxy, or that we observe more distant features at low Galactic
longitudes. For every resolution studied, the skewness of the polarization
gradient is influenced by the edges of bright polarization gradient regions,
which are not related to the turbulence revealed by the polarization gradients.
We also find that the skewness of the polarization gradient is sensitive to the
size of the box used to calculate the skewness, but insensitive to Galactic
longitude, implying that the skewness only probes the number and magnitude of
the inhomogeneities within the box. We conclude that the skewness and kurtosis
of the polarization gradient are not ideal statistics for probing natural
magneto-ionic turbulence.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures, accepted by Ap
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