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Title: OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA'S ASYMMETRICAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

We present the first Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 imaging survey of the entire Crab Nebula, in the filters F502N ([O III] emission), F673N ([S II]), F631N ([O I]), and F547M (continuum). We use our mosaics to characterize the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and its three-dimensional structure, the ionizational structure in the filaments forming at its periphery, the speed of the shock driven by the PWN into surrounding ejecta (by inferring the cooling rates behind the shock), and the morphology and ionizational structure of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) fingers. We quantify a number of asymmetries between the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) quadrants of the Crab Nebula. The lack of observed filaments in the NW, and our observations of the spatial extent of [O III] emission lead us to conclude that cooling rates are slower, and therefore the shock speeds are greater, in the NW quadrant of the nebula, compared with the SE. We conclude that R-T fingers are longer, more ionizationally stratified, and apparently more massive in the NW than in the SE, and the R-T instability appears more fully developed in the NW.

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22126965
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 765; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; CAMERAS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COOLING; CRAB NEBULA; FILTERS; OXYGEN IONS; PHOTON EMISSION; PULSARS; RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY; SHOCK WAVES; STELLAR WINDS; TELESCOPES; VELOCITY

Citation Formats

Loll, A. M., Desch, S. J., Scowen, P. A., and Foy, J. P., E-mail: allison.loll@asu.edu. OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA'S ASYMMETRICAL DEVELOPMENT. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/765/2/152.
Loll, A. M., Desch, S. J., Scowen, P. A., & Foy, J. P., E-mail: allison.loll@asu.edu. OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA'S ASYMMETRICAL DEVELOPMENT. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/765/2/152
Loll, A. M., Desch, S. J., Scowen, P. A., and Foy, J. P., E-mail: allison.loll@asu.edu. 2013. "OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA'S ASYMMETRICAL DEVELOPMENT". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/765/2/152.
@article{osti_22126965,
title = {OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA'S ASYMMETRICAL DEVELOPMENT},
author = {Loll, A. M. and Desch, S. J. and Scowen, P. A. and Foy, J. P., E-mail: allison.loll@asu.edu},
abstractNote = {We present the first Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 imaging survey of the entire Crab Nebula, in the filters F502N ([O III] emission), F673N ([S II]), F631N ([O I]), and F547M (continuum). We use our mosaics to characterize the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and its three-dimensional structure, the ionizational structure in the filaments forming at its periphery, the speed of the shock driven by the PWN into surrounding ejecta (by inferring the cooling rates behind the shock), and the morphology and ionizational structure of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) fingers. We quantify a number of asymmetries between the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) quadrants of the Crab Nebula. The lack of observed filaments in the NW, and our observations of the spatial extent of [O III] emission lead us to conclude that cooling rates are slower, and therefore the shock speeds are greater, in the NW quadrant of the nebula, compared with the SE. We conclude that R-T fingers are longer, more ionizationally stratified, and apparently more massive in the NW than in the SE, and the R-T instability appears more fully developed in the NW.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/765/2/152},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22126965}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 765,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Sun Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}