The dynamic X-ray nebula powered by the pulsar B1259-63
- George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801 (United States)
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 2J7 (Canada)
We present observations of the eccentric γ-ray binary B1259-63/LS 2883 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The images reveal a variable, extended (about 4'', or ∼1000 times the binary orbit size) structure, which appears to be moving away from the binary with the velocity of 0.05 of the speed of light. The observed emission is interpreted as synchrotron radiation from relativistic particles supplied by the pulsar. However, the fast motion through the circumbinary medium would require the emitting cloud to be loaded with a large amount of baryonic matter. Alternatively, the extended emission can be interpreted as a variable extrabinary shock in the pulsar wind outflow launched near binary apastron. The resolved variable X-ray nebula provides an opportunity to probe pulsar winds and their interaction with stellar winds in a previously inaccessible way.
- OSTI ID:
- 22357245
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 784, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
DISCOVERY OF EXTENDED AND VARIABLE RADIO STRUCTURE FROM THE GAMMA-RAY BINARY SYSTEM PSR B1259-63/LS 2883
MODELING THE MULTIWAVELENGTH LIGHT CURVES OF PSR B1259-63/LS 2883. II. THE EFFECTS OF ANISOTROPIC PULSAR WIND AND DOPPLER BOOSTING