In this review paper on pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) we discuss the properties of such nebulae within the context of containment against cross-field diffusion (versus normal advection), the effect of reverse shocks on the evolution of offset ``Vela-like'' PWN, constraints on maximum particle energetics, magnetic field strength estimates based on spectral and spatial properties, and the implication of such field estimates on the composition of the wind. A significant part of the discussion is based on the High Energy Stereoscopic System ({\it H.E.S.S.} or {\it HESS}) detection of the two evolved pulsar wind nebulae Vela X (cocoon) and HESS J1825-137. In the case of Vela X (cocoon) we also review evidence of a hadronic versus a leptonic interpretation, showing that a leptonic interpretation is favored for the {\it HESS} signal. The constraints discussed in this review paper sets a general framework for the interpretation of a number of offset, filled-center nebulae seen by {\it HESS}. These sources are found along the galactic plane with galactic latitudes $|b|\sim 0$, where significant amounts of molecular gas is found. In these regions, we find that the interstellar medium is inhomogeneous, which has an effect on the morphology of supernova shock expansion. One consequence of this effect is the formation of offset pulsar wind nebulae as observed.
The extended nebulae formed as pulsar winds expand into their surroundings provide information about the composition of the winds, the injection history from the host pulsar, and the material into which the nebulae are expanding. Observations from across the electromagnetic spectrum provide constraints on the evolution of the nebulae, the density and composition of the surrounding ejecta, the geometry of the systems, the formation of jets, and the maximum energy of the particles in the nebulae. Here I provide a broad overview of the structure of pulsar wind nebulae, with specific examples that…
In this brief review, I discuss recent developments in the study of pulsar-powered nebulae ("plerions"). The large volume of data which has been acquired in recent years reveals a diverse range of observational properties, demonstrating how differing environmental and pulsar properties manifest themselves in the resulting nebulae.
We estimate the TeV gamma-ray fluxes expected from the population of young pulsars in terms of the self-consistent time dependent hadronic-leptonic model for the high energy processes inside the pulsar wind nebulae. This radiation model bases on the hypothesis of Arons and collaborators who postulate that leptons are accelerated inside the nebulae as a result of resonant scattering on heavy nuclei, which in turn are accelerated in the pulsar wind region or the pulsar inner magnetosphere. Our aim is to find out which nebulae on the nortehrn hemisphere are the best candidates for detection at en…
Pulsar bow-shock nebulae are a class of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) that form when the pulsar wind is confined by the ram pressure of the ambient medium, and are usually associated with old pulsars, that have already emerged from the progenitor Supernova Remnant (SNR). Until a few years ago these nebulae were mainly observed as \halpha sources; recently, also non-thermal emission has been detected. This is the signature of accelerated particles gyrating in a magnetic field. In the same way as \halpha radiation is a tool for studying the layer of shocked Interstellar Medium (ISM), the non-therma…
Young supernova remnants that contain pulsar wind nebulae provide diagnostics for both the inner part of the supernova and the interaction with the surrounding medium, providing an opportunity to relate these objects to supernova types. Among observed young nebulae, there is evidence for a range of supernova types, including Type IIP (Crab Nebula and SN 1054) and Type IIb/IIn/IIL (G292.0+1.8).
Pulsars steadily dissipate their rotational energy via relativistic winds. Confinement of these outflows generates luminous pulsar wind nebulae, seen across the electromagnetic spectrum in synchrotron and inverse Compton emission, and in optical emission lines when they shock the surrounding medium. These sources act as important probes of relativistic shocks, particle acceleration and of interstellar gas. We review the many recent advances in the study of pulsar wind nebulae, with particular focus on the evolutionary stages through which these objects progress as they expand into their surrou…
At the end of the EGRET mission, only 6-8 Galactic sources had been identified as young pulsars. Since then, several energetic pulsars have been discovered in EGRET error boxes along the Galactic plane, as well as several pulsar wind nebulae from which pulsations have not yet been discovered. Some of these nebulae are associated with moderately variable EGRET sources, suggesting that the gamma-ray emission might be coming from the nebula rather than from the pulsar magnetosphere. There is also a population of unidentified EGRET sources at mid-Galactic latitudes which have been proposed to be e…
We present hydrodynamical simulations, using a 2-D two fluid model, of bow shocks in a representative regime for pulsar wind driven bow-shock nebulae. We also investigate the behaviour of a passive toroidal magnetic field wounded around the pulsar velocity direction. Moreover we estimate the opacity of the bow-shock to penetration of ISM neutral hydrogen. Finally we compare these numerical results with those from an analytical model.
We present preliminary results from a systematic spectral study of pulsars and their wind nebulae using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The superb spatial resolution of Chandra allows us to differentiate the compact object's spectrum from that of its surrounding nebulae. Specifically, for six Crab-like pulsars, we compare spectral fits of the averaged pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) emission to that of the central core using an absorbed power-law model. These results suggest an empirical relationship between the bulk averaged photon indicies (Gamma) for the PWNe and the pulsar cores; Gamma_PWN = 0.8 …
Previous searches for radio pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) suggest that only the youngest and most energetic pulsars power PWN. However the selection effects associated with such searches are severe, in that emission from a faint compact PWN will be masked by that from its associated pulsar. This has motivated us to search for radio PWN using the technique of pulsar gating, which allows us to ``switch off'' the pulsed emission and see what is hidden underneath. This search has resulted in the detection of the faintest radio PWN yet discovered, while non-detections around other pulsars have implicat…
We report on the analysis of archival ASCA, ROSAT and BeppoSAX data of PSR B1055-52, PSR B0656+14 and Geminga, performed in order to investigate the reality of the putative ~10-20 arcmin wide X-ray pulsar-wind nebulae recently proposed to exist around these pulsars. In all these cases, the ROSAT and/or BeppoSAX data show that the diffuse and clumpy X-ray nebulae found by ASCA can be resolved in the contribution of unidentified point sources, unlikely related to the pulsars.
The large-scale structure of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) tells us a considerable amount about their average magnetic fields, the total particle input from the pulsar winds, and the confining pressure at their outer boundaries. However, the details of the pulsar outflow, the sites of shocks and particle acceleration, the effects of instabilities in the magnetic field, and the interaction between the relativistic wind and the surrounding ejecta are contained in small-scale structures, where we observe jets and toroidal structures, time-varying emission from compact clumps, and filaments in both t…
Pulsar wind nebulae are a prominent class of very high energy (E > 0.1 TeV) Galactic sources. Their Gamma-ray spectra are interpreted as due to inverse Compton scattering of ultrarelativistic electrons on the ambient photons, whereas the X-ray spectra are due to synchrotron emission. We investigate the relation between the Gamma- and-X-ray emission and the pulsars' spin-down luminosity and characteristic age. We find that the distance-independent Gamma- to X-ray flux ratio of the nebulae is inversely proportional to the spin-down luminosity, (\propto \dot{E}^-1.9), while it appears proportiona…
The Crab Nebula is likely to be expanding into freely expanding supernova ejecta, although the energy in the ejecta may be less than is typical for a Type II supernova. Pulsar nebulae much younger than the Crab have not been found and could have different properties. The search for such nebulae through ultraviolet/optical line emission in core collapse supernovae, or through their X-ray emission (which could show strong absorption) is warranted. Neutron stars have now been found in many young supernova remnants. There is not a clear link between neutron star and remnant type, although there is…
A remarkable number of pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) are coincident with EGRET gamma-ray sources. X-ray and radio imaging studies of unidentified EGRET sources have resulted in the discovery of at least 6 new pulsar wind nebulae (PWN). Stationary PWN (SPWN) appear to be associated with steady EGRET sources with hard spectra, typical for gamma-ray pulsars. Their toroidal morphologies can help determine the geometry of the pulsar which is useful for constraining models of pulsed gamma-ray emission. Rapidly moving PWN (RPWN) with more cometary morphologies seem to be associated with variable EGRET so…
We present high resolution VLA images taken at the wavelengths of lambda 20 cm, lambda 6 cm, and lambda 3.6 cm in the vicinity of the pulsars PSR B1706-44 (PSR J1709-4428) and PSR B1643-43 (PSR J1646-4346). Both of these pulsars are young (<30,000 yrs) and have large spin-down luminosities (e+35 erg/sec) and hence are good candidates to search for extended synchrotron nebula excited by the relativistic pulsar wind. For PSR B1643-43 we found evidences of a 4'comet-shaped nebula, suggestive of a synchrotron ``wake'' left by a fast moving pulsar. PSR B1706-44 appears surrounded by a spherical neb…
We present a complete set of diagnostic tools aimed at reproducing synthetic non-thermal (synchrotron and/or Inverse Compton, IC) emissivity, integrated flux energy, polarization and spectral index simulated maps in comparison to observations. The time dependent relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) equations are solved with a shock capturing code together with the evolution of the maximum particles energy. Applications to Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) are shown.
We present the discovery of two very-high-energy gamma-ray sources in an ongoing systematic search for emission above 100 GeV from pulsar wind nebulae in survey data from the H.E.S.S. telescope array. Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes are ideal tools for searching for extended emission from pulsar wind nebulae in the very-high-energy regime. H.E.S.S., with its large field of view of 5 degrees and high sensitivity, gives new prospects for the search for these objects. An ongoing systematic search for very-high-energy emission from energetic pulsars over the region of the Galactic plane b…
There is growing evidence that some variable high-energy gamma-ray sources are associated with pulsar wind nebulae. We review the current status of X-ray and radio studies of the sources most likely to be significant emitters above 100 MeV. The assumption of the gamma-radiation arising from synchrotron processes puts a lower limit on the magnetic field and suggests there may be significant doppler boosting causing the asymmetries seen in the morphology of these nebulae. However, these sources are also in close proximity to molecular clouds, suggesting that variable gamma-ray emission may arise…
An observational model is presented for the spectra of young rotation-powered pulsars and their nebulae based on a study of nine bright Crab-like pulsar systems observed with the Chandra X-ray observatory. A significant correlation is discovered between the X-ray spectra of these pulsars (PSRs) and that of their associated pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), both of which are observed to be a function of the spin down energy, Edot . The 2 - 10 keV spectra of these objects are well characterized by an absorbed power-law model with photon indices, Gamma, in the range of 0.6 < Gamma_PSR < 2.1 and 1.3 < G…
Of the known pulsar wind nebulae, 8 are good candidates for being in the early stage of evolution where the wind nebula is interacting with the freely expanding supernova ejecta. Several of these have been identified with historical supernovae. Although the identification of SN 1181 with 3C 58 has been thought to be relatively secure, the large size of the nebula, the amount of swept up mass, and the internal energy indicate a larger age. For G11.2-0.3, the nebular size and internal energy are consistent with the identification with the possible supernova of 386. Although the Crab Nebula appea…
The traditional view of radio pulsar wind nebulae (PWN), encouraged by the Crab nebula's X-ray and radio morphologies, is that they are a result of the integrated history of their pulsars' wind. The radio emission should therefore be largely unaffected by recent pulsar activity, and hence minimally correlated with structures in the X-ray nebulae. Observations of several PWN, both stationary (sPWN) and rapidly moving (rPWN), now show clear morphological relationships between structures in the radio and X-ray with radio intensity variations on the order of unity. We present high-resolution X-ray…
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 a…
We present recent X-ray and radio observations of pulsar wind nebulae discovered in EGRET error boxes. Two XMM-Newton observations show the X-ray extent of the rapidly moving PWN associated with the variable gamma-ray source 3EG J1809-2328, and a trail coming from the new millisecond pulsar PSR J1614-2230 at high Galactic z. We also briefly discuss three PWN that are HESS TeV sources including a new HESS source we argue is associated with the Eel nebula in 3EG J1826-1302.
The excellent sensitivity and high resolution capability of wide FoV ground-based imaging atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes allow us for the first time to resolve the morphological structures of pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) which are older and more extended than the Crab Nebula. VHE gamma-ray observations of such extended nebulae (with field strengths below ~ 20 micro Gauss) probe the electron component corresponding to the unseen extreme ultraviolet (EUV) synchrotron component, which measures electron injection from earlier evolutionary epochs. VHE observations of PWN therefore introduce a new win…
The synchrotron-emitting nebulae formed by energetic winds from young pulsars provide information on a wide range phenomena that contribute to their structure. High resolution X-ray observations reveal jets and toroidal structures in many systems, along with knot-like structures whose emission is observed to be time-variable. Large-scale filaments seen in optical and radio images mark instability regions where the expanding nebulae interact with the surrounding ejecta, and spectral studies reveal the presence of these ejecta in the form of thermal X-ray emission. Infrared studies probe the fre…
In the late 1960s the discovery of the Crab pulsar in its associated supernova remnant, launched a new field in supernova remnant research: the study of pulsar-driven or plerionic supernova remnants. In these type of remnants, the relativistic wind emitted by the pulsar, blows a pulsar wind nebula into the interior of its supernova remnant. Now, more then forty years after the discovery of the Crab pulsar, there are more then fifty plerionic supernova remnants known, due to the ever-increasing capacity of observational facilities. I will review our current understanding of the different evolut…
This paper deals with the Crab Nebula problem to suggest that particle acceleration takes place not only at the inner shock but also over a larger region in the nebula with disordered magnetic field. Kennel and Cornoniti (1984) constructed a spherically symmetric model of the Crab Nebula and concluded that the pulsar wind which excites the nebular is kinetic-energy dominant (KED) because the nebula flow induced by KED wind is favorable to explain the nebula spectrum and expansion speed. This is true even with new Chandra observation, which provides newly the spatially resolved spectra. We have…
We report on a sensitive survey for radio pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) towards 27 energetic and/or high velocity pulsars. Observations were carried out at 1.4 GHz using the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, and utilised pulsar-gating to search for off-pulse emission. These observing parameters resulted in a considerably more sensitive search than previous surveys, and could detect PWN over a much wider range of spatial scales (and hence ambient densities and pulsar velocities). However, no emission clearly corresponding to a PWN was discovered. Based on these non-detecti…
In the last few years, new observations by CHANDRA and XMM have shown that Pulsar Wind Nebulae present a complex but similar inner feature, with the presence of axisymmetric rings and jets, which is generally referred as {\it jet-torus structure}. Due to the rapid growth in accuracy and robustness of numerical schemes for relativistic fluid-dynamics, it is now possible to model the flow and magnetic structure of the relativistic plasma responsible for the emission. Recent results have clarified how the jet and rings are formed, suggesting that the morphology is strongly related to the wind pro…
We present hydrodynamical simulations, using a 2-D two component model (ambient medium and pul sar wind have different specific heat ratios), of bow shocks in a representative regime for pu lsar wind driven bow-shock nebulae. We also investigate the behaviour of a passive toroidal ma gnetic field wound around the pulsar velocity direction. Moreover we estimate the opacity of t he bow-shock to penetration of ISM neutral hydrogen: this quantity affects observable properti es of the nebula, like its size, shape, velocity and surface brightness distribution. Finally we compare these numerical resu…
We have observed pulsar wind nebulae in the three supernova remnants G11.2-0.3, G16.7+0.1, and G29.7-0.3 at 89 GHz with the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association Array, measuring total flux densities of two of them for comparison with archival data at other frequencies . In G16.7+0.1, we find a break in the spectrum of the PWN at ~26 GHz. In G29.7-0.3, our data suggest a break in the integrated spectrum of the central nebula at ~55 GHz, lower than previously estimated. However, we have found spatial structure in the spectrum of this nebula. The emission to the north of pulsar J1846-0258 has a…
The deeper and more extended survey of the central parts of the Galactic Plane by H.E.S.S. during 2005-2007 has revealed a number of new point-like, as well as, extended sources. Two point-like sources can be associated to two remarkable objects around "Crab-like" young and energetic pulsars in our Galaxy: G21.5-0.9 and Kes 75. The characteristics of each of the sources are presented and possible interpretations are briefly discussed.
We report on Chandra ACIS and XMM-Newton MOS/PN imaging observations of two pulsar wind nebulae (K3/PSR J1420-6048 and G313.3+0.1=`the rabbit') associated with the Galactic unidentified gamma-ray source GeV J1417-6100. With the excellent ACIS imaging, the very energetic pulsar PSR J1420-6048 is separated from its surrounding nebula. This nebula has surprisingly little compact structure, although a faint arc is seen near the pulsar. Similarly, two point sources are resolved in the rabbit nebula. The large XMM-Newton collecting area provides useful spectral constraints on the rabbit and the asso…
A spherically symmetric model is presented for the interaction of a pulsar wind with the associated supernova remnant. This results in a pulsar wind nebula whose evolution is coupled to the evolution of the surrounding supernova remnant. This evolution can be divided in three stages. The first stage is characterised by a supersonic expansion of the pulsar wind nebula into the freely expanding ejecta of the progenitor star. In the next stage the pulsar wind nebula is not steady; the pulsar wind nebula oscillates between contraction and expansion due to interaction with the reverse shock of the …
We present here the first effort to compute synthetic synchrotron polarization maps of Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe). Our goal is to highlight how polarization can be used as an additional diagnostic tool for the flow structure in the inner regions of these nebulae. Recent numerical simulations suggest the presence of flow velocities ~0.5 c in the surroundings of the termination shock, where most of the high energy emission comes from. We construct polarization maps taking into account relativistic effects like Doppler boosting and position angle swing. The effect of different bulk velocities is …
Magnetohydrodynamical simulations are presented of a magnetized pulsar wind interacting directly with the interstellar medium, or, in the case of a surrounding supernova remnant, with the associated freely expanding ejecta of the progenitor star. In both cases the simulations show that the pulsar wind nebula will be elongated due to the dynamical influence of the toroidal magnetic fields, which confirm predictions from a semi-analytical model presented by Begelman & Li. The simulations follow the expansion of the pulsar wind nebula when the latter is bounded by a strong shock and show that the…
Using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) we have imaged the fields around five promising pulsar candidates to search for radio pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). We have used the ATCA in its pulsar gating mode; this enables an image to be formed containing only off-pulse visibilities, thereby dramatically improving the sensitivity to any underlying PWN. Data from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope were also used to provide sensitivity on larger spatial scales. This survey found a faint new PWN around PSR B0906-49; here we report on non-detections of PWNe towards PSRs B1046-58, B10…
A plausible model for the Crab Nebula is one in which a particle dominated, highly relativistic wind from the pulsar passes through a shock front in which the particles attain a power law energy distribution. The electrons and positrons lose energy radiating synchrotron emission. Here, a one zone version of the model is developed and applied to observations of X-ray pulsar nebulae. Efficient conversion of pulsar spin-down power to X-ray luminosity is expected if the observed electrons are in the synchrotron cooling regime and their energy spectrum is similar to that in the Crab Nebula. In this…
Our understanding of Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe), has greatly improved in the last years thanks to unprecedented high resolution images taken from the HUBBLE, CHANDRA and XMM satellites. The discovery of complex but similar inner features, with the presence of unexpected axisymmetric rings and jets, has prompted a new investigation into the dynamics of the interaction of the pulsar winds with the surrounding SNR, which, thanks to the improvement in the computational resources, has let to a better understanding of the properties of these objects. On the other hand the discovery of non-thermal em…
The non-thermal, non-pulsed X-ray emission of MSPs is investigated. As in young pulsars, MSPs emit a relativistic wind, which interacting with the interstellar medium and/or a binary companion can significantly contribute to the non-pulsed emission of these pulsars. An application and extension of a simple model developed for young pulsars is applied to the old recycled MSP B1957+20. It is found that the pulsar wind can, indeed, contribute to both the resolved and unresolved X-ray emission. For other MSP in the Galactic field where the spectral index of the non-pulsed component has been measur…
The general properties of the non-thermal non-pulsed X-ray emission of rotation powered pulsars are investigated in the context of a pulsar wind nebula model. An examination of the observed X-ray emission from a sample of 23 pulsars from ASCA in the energy range between 2-10 keV reveals that the relation of X-ray luminosity, $L_x$, to the pulsar spin down power, $\dot{E}$, is steeper for the non-pulsed component than for the pulsed component. Specifically, $L_{x}^{npul} \propto \dot{E}^{1.4 \pm 0.1}$ for the non-pulsed component, whereas $L_{x}^{pul} \propto \dot{E}^{1.2 \pm 0.08}$ for the pul…
We review current theoretical ideas on pulsar winds and their surrounding nebulae. Relativistic MHD models of the wind of the aligned rotator, and of the striped wind, together with models of magnetic dissipation are discussed. It is shown that the observational signature of this dissipation is likely to be point-like, rather than extended, and that pulsed emission may be produced. The possible pulse shapes and polarisation properties are described. Particle acceleration at the termination shock of the wind is discussed, and it is argued that two distinct mechanisms must be operating, with the…
Many of the recently discovered galactic very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources are associated with Pulsar Wind Nebulae, which is the most populous Galactic source category at TeV energies. The extended synchrotron nebulae of these objects observed in the X-ray band are a hallmark of the relativistic winds, generated by the young, energetic neutron stars, that interact with the matter ejected by the supernova explosion and the surrounding interstellar gas. Relativistic electrons, or protons, accelerated in the pulsar winds, or at their shock boundaries, interact with the magnetic field and l…
For pulsars similar to the one in the Crab Nebula, most of the energy input to the surrounding wind nebula occurs on a timescale of less than 1000 years; during this time, the nebula expands into freely expanding supernova ejecta. On a timescale 10,000 years, the interaction of the supernova with the surrounding medium drives a reverse shock front toward the center of the remnant, where it crushes the PWN (pulsar wind nebula). One- and two-dimensional, two-fluid simulations of the crushing and re-expansion phases of a PWN show that (1) these phases are subject to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities …
The interaction of the wind from a pulsar (or more generally from a star) with t he amb ient medium gives rise to the formation of a bow-shock nebula. We present a mode l of adiabatic bow-shock nebulae, including the presence of a neutral component in the interstellar medium. As demonstrated in a previous paper (Bucciantini & Bandiera 2001}, hereafter Paper I), the velocity and the luminosity of the pulsar, as well a s the characteristics of the interstellar medium (ISM), play an essential role in determinin g the properties of bow shock nebulae. In particular, the Balmer emission is strongly …
In the recent paper we calculated the $γ$-ray spectra from pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), assuming that a significant amount of the pulsar rotational energy is converted into relativistic nuclei. These nuclei accelerate leptons which are responsible for most of the observed electromagnetic emission from PWNe. Small part of nuclei also interact with the matter of the supernova producing $γ$-rays, which can also contribute to the observed spectra of young nebulae. Here we calculate the spectra of neutrinos from the interaction of nuclei inside the nebula and the expected neutrino event rates in the…
The Crab Nebula is well-described at optical wavelengths and above by a steady-state magnetohydrodynamic model due to Kennel and Coroniti (1984). Can this class of model describe other pulsar-wind nebulae? I exhibit simple generalizations of KC models,for various values of sigma, the ratio of magnetic to particle flux input at the wind shock. I calculate the evolution of the electron spectrum and synchrotron emissivity in the nebula assuming spherical symmetry, a steady state, and a purely toroidal magnetic field. Emission profiles depend on the initial magnetic field B_0, the electron spectra…
We present a catalog of 34 diffuse features identified in X-ray images of the Galactic center taken with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Several of the features have been discussed in the literature previously, including 7 that are associated with a complex of molecular clouds that exhibits fluorescent line emission, 4 that are superimposed on the supernova remnant Sgr A East, 2 that are coincident with radio features that are thought to be the shell of another supernova remnant, and one that is thought to be a pulsar wind nebula only a few arcseconds in projection from Sgr A*. However, this le…
We present high resolution spherically symmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations of the evolution of a pulsar wind nebula inside the free expanding ejecta of the supernova progenitor. The evolution is followed starting from a few years after the supernova explosion and up to an age of the remnant of 1500 years. We consider different values of the pulsar wind magnetization parameter and also different braking indices for the spin-down process. We compare the numerical results with those derived through an approximate semi-analytical approach that allows us to trace the time evolu…
Shell-type Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been known to harbour a population of ultra-relativistic particles, accelerated in the Supernova shock wave by the mechanism of diffusive shock acceleration. Experimental evidence for the existence of electrons up to energies of ~100 TeV was first provided by the detection of hard X-ray synchrotron emission as e.g. in the shell of the young SNR SN1006. Furthermore using theoretical arguments shell-type Supernova remnants have long been considered as the main accelerator of protons - Cosmic rays - in the Galaxy; definite proof of this process is ho…
We present here a series of numerical simulations of the development of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a relativistically hot plasma. The physical parameters in the unperturbed state are chosen to be representative of local conditions encountered in Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe), with a main magnetic field perpendicular to a mildly relativistic shear layers. By using a numerical code for Relativistic MHD, we investigate the effect of an additional magnetic field component aligned with the shear velocity, and we follow the evolution of the instability to the saturation and turbulent regimes. Base…
We investigate the radiation processes inside supernova remnants which are powered by young pulsars. Using recent model for particle acceleration by the pulsar wind nebulae, we obtain the equilibrium spectra of leptons and nuclei inside the nebula as a function of time. We calculate the multiwavelength photon spectra produced by leptons and nuclei and compare them with the observations of the PWNe, i.e. the Crab Nebula, the Vela Supernova Remnant, and the nebula around PSR 1706-44. It is found that the emission from the Crab Nebula can be well fitted by the composition of the gamma-ray emissio…
Pulsars, formed during supernova explosions, are known to be sources of relativistic magnetized winds whose interaction with the expanding supernova remnants (SNRs) gives rise to a pulsar wind nebula (PWN). We present spherically symmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) simulations of the interaction of a pulsar wind with the surrounding SNR, both in particle and magnetically dominated regimes. As shown by previous simulations, the evolution can be divided in three phases: free expansion, a transient phase characterized by the compression and reverberation of the reverse shock, and a…
We present a statistical study of the non-thermal X-ray emission of 27 young rotation powered pulsars (RPPs) and 24 pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) by using the Chandra and the XMM-Newton observations, which with the high spatial resolutions enable us to spatially resolve pulsars from their surrounding PWNe. We obtain the X-ray luminosities and spectra separately for RPPs and PWNe, and then investigate their distribution and relation to each other as well as the relation with the pulsar rotational parameters. In the pair-correlation analysis we find that: (1) the X-ray (2-10 keV) luminosities of bo…
The structure and the evolution of Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) are studied by means of two-dimensional axisymmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulations. After the first imaging of the Crab Nebula with Chandra, a growing number of objects has been found to show in the X-rays spatial features such as rings and jets, that clearly cannot be accounted for within the standard framework of one-dimensional semi-analytical models. The most promising explanation suggested so far is based on the combined effects of the latitude dependence of the pulsar wind energy flux, shaping the wind te…
Observations of the inner radian of the Galactic disk at very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays have revealed at least 16 new sources. Besides shell type super-nova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) appear to be a dominant source population in the catalogue of VHE gamma-ray sources. Except for the Crab nebula, the newly discovered PWN are resolved at VHE gamma-rays to be spatially extended (5-20 pc). Currently, at least 3 middle aged ($t>10$ kyrs) PWN (Vela X, G18.0-0.7, and G313.3+0.6 in the ``Kookaburra'' region) and 1 young PWN MSH 15-5{\it2} ($t=1.55$ kyrs) have been identified to be VHE emit…
The high resolution capabilities of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) introduced a new era in Gamma-Ray Astronomy, and opens a new window on pulsar wind nebula (PWN) research. A rotationally induced jet (associated with PSR B1509-58) is resolved for the first time in gamma-rays, allowing us to trace the particle transport directly, without having the complicating effect of spatially varying field distributions on the synchrotron emissivity. For PWN older or more extended than Crab (i.e. those with lower field strengths), HESS also reveals the properties of electrons contributing to th…
We present preliminary results from a systematic spectral study of pulsars and their wind nebulae using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The superb spatial resolution of Chandra allows us to differentiate the compact object's spectrum from that of its surrounding nebulae. Specifically, for six Crab-like pulsars, we compare spectral fits of the averaged pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) emission to that of the central core using an absorbed power-law model. These results suggest an empirical relationship between the bulk averaged photon indices for the PWNe and the pulsar cores; Gamma_{PWN} = 0.8 times G…
Using two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations, we investigate the interaction of a collimated fast wind (CFW) interacting with a spherical asymptotic giant branch (AGB) wind as the mechanism for shaping proto-planetary nebulae and young planetary nebulae. In particular, we compare our simulations to the observations of an evolved PPN with multiple, highly collimated lobes, CRL 618.
