Magnetic fields in the jet of the Crab Nebula

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184522· OSTI ID:5681136

Wilson, A S; Samarasinha, N H; Hogg, D E

The Very Large Array has been used to map the 20 cm intensity and polarization distributions in the Crab Nebula with better resolution (about 4 arcsec) than achieved in previous radio observations. Lower resolution polarization observations at 6 cm are also reported. The radio emission from the jet is well correlated with its O III forbidden line emission but is highly polarized, testifying to a uniform magnetic field and an absence of internal Faraday depolarizing gas. The pressures of the cosmic rays and magnetic fields probably dominate that of the thermal material. The magnetic field in the base of the jet runs almost radially (with respect to the local edge or the center of the nebula) and appears to be slightly misaligned with the line-emitting walls. The jet seems to represent relativistic and thermal gases escaping radially outward through a hole in the filamentary shell. Such strictly radial motion can account for the magnetic field direction, the relative magnitudes of the jets velocity components in and perpendicular to the plane of the sky, and the similar kinematic ages derived from these two components. 26 references.

• Research Organization: Maryland Univ., College Park; National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA
• OSTI ID: 5681136
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 294; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
CRAB NEBULA
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEBULAE
PLASMA JETS
POLARIZATION
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS