Fast moving pulsars as probes of interstellar medium
Feb 27, 202011 pages
Published in:
- Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 497 (2020) 3, 2605-2615
- Published: Sep 21, 2020
e-Print:
- 2002.12111 [astro-ph.HE]
DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/staa1601 (publication)
View in:
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Abstract: (Oxford University Press)
Pulsars moving through interstellar medium (ISM) produce bow shocks detected in hydrogen H α line emission. The morphology of the bow shock nebulae allows one to probe the properties of ISM on scales ∼0.01 pc and smaller. We performed 2D relativistic magnetohydrodynamic modelling of the pulsar bow shock and simulated the corresponding H α emission morphology. We find that even a mild spatial inhomogeneity of ISM density, δρ/ρ ∼ 1, leads to significant variations of the shape of the shock seen in H α line emission. We successfully reproduce the morphology of the Guitar Nebula. We infer quasi-periodic density variations in the warm component of ISM with characteristic length of ∼0.1 pc. Structures of this scale might be also responsible for the formation of the fine features seen at the forward shock of Tycho supernova remnant (SNR) in X-rays. Formation of such short periodic density structures in the warm component of ISM is puzzling, and bow-shock nebulae provide unique probes to study this phenomenon.Note:
- 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted MNRAS
- hydrodynamics
- radiation mechanisms: thermal
- stars: neutron
- pulsars: individual: B2224+65
References(54)
Figures(16)