1998/03/31 by B. M. Gaensler, B. W. Stappers, D. A. Frail +1 · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/311347
13 pages, 3 embedded PS figures. Accepted to ApJ Letters. Changed author footnote
arxiv created 1998/04/02 · openalex publication_date 1998/05/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2020/11/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
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 northwest with a projected velocity ~60 km s −1 , consistent with its scintillation speed. The consequent density we infer for the pulsar's environment is greater than 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 in the same manner: at low frequencies and with the pulsed emission subtracted.