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Title: Serendipitous discovery of an infrared bow shock near PSR J1549–4848 with Spitzer

Abstract

We report on the discovery of an infrared cometary nebula around PSR J1549–4848 in our Spitzer survey of a few middle-aged radio pulsars. Following the discovery, multi-wavelength imaging and spectroscopic observations of the nebula were carried out. We detected the nebula in Spitzer Infrared Array Camera 8.0, Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 and 70 μm imaging, and in Spitzer IRS 7.5-14.4 μm spectroscopic observations, and also in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer all-sky survey at 12 and 22 μm. These data were analyzed in detail, and we find that the nebula can be described with a standard bow shock shape, and that its spectrum contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and H{sub 2} emission features. However, it is not certain which object drives the nebula. We analyze the field stars and conclude that none of them can be the associated object because stars with a strong wind or mass ejection that usually produce bow shocks are much brighter than the field stars. The pulsar is approximately 15'' away from the region in which the associated object is expected to be located. In order to resolve the discrepancy, we suggest that a highly collimated wind could be emitted from the pulsar andmore » produce the bow shock. X-ray imaging to detect the interaction of the wind with the ambient medium- and high-spatial resolution radio imaging to determine the proper motion of the pulsar should be carried out, which will help verify the association of the pulsar with the bow shock nebula.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China)
  2. Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States)
  3. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
  4. Las Campanas Observatory, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, La Serena (Chile)
  5. Department of Physics, McGill University, 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22342053
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 769; 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; APPROXIMATIONS; EMISSION; HYDROGEN; INFRARED SURVEYS; INTERACTIONS; MASS; NEBULAE; NEUTRONS; PHOTOMETERS; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS; PROPER MOTION; PULSARS; SHOCK WAVES; SKY; SPATIAL RESOLUTION; SPECTRA; STARS; WAVELENGTHS; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Wang, Zhongxiang, Kaplan, David L., Slane, Patrick, Morrell, Nidia, and Kaspi, Victoria M. Serendipitous discovery of an infrared bow shock near PSR J1549–4848 with Spitzer. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/122.
Wang, Zhongxiang, Kaplan, David L., Slane, Patrick, Morrell, Nidia, & Kaspi, Victoria M. Serendipitous discovery of an infrared bow shock near PSR J1549–4848 with Spitzer. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/122
Wang, Zhongxiang, Kaplan, David L., Slane, Patrick, Morrell, Nidia, and Kaspi, Victoria M. 2013. "Serendipitous discovery of an infrared bow shock near PSR J1549–4848 with Spitzer". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/122.
@article{osti_22342053,
title = {Serendipitous discovery of an infrared bow shock near PSR J1549–4848 with Spitzer},
author = {Wang, Zhongxiang and Kaplan, David L. and Slane, Patrick and Morrell, Nidia and Kaspi, Victoria M.},
abstractNote = {We report on the discovery of an infrared cometary nebula around PSR J1549–4848 in our Spitzer survey of a few middle-aged radio pulsars. Following the discovery, multi-wavelength imaging and spectroscopic observations of the nebula were carried out. We detected the nebula in Spitzer Infrared Array Camera 8.0, Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 and 70 μm imaging, and in Spitzer IRS 7.5-14.4 μm spectroscopic observations, and also in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer all-sky survey at 12 and 22 μm. These data were analyzed in detail, and we find that the nebula can be described with a standard bow shock shape, and that its spectrum contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and H{sub 2} emission features. However, it is not certain which object drives the nebula. We analyze the field stars and conclude that none of them can be the associated object because stars with a strong wind or mass ejection that usually produce bow shocks are much brighter than the field stars. The pulsar is approximately 15'' away from the region in which the associated object is expected to be located. In order to resolve the discrepancy, we suggest that a highly collimated wind could be emitted from the pulsar and produce the bow shock. X-ray imaging to detect the interaction of the wind with the ambient medium- and high-spatial resolution radio imaging to determine the proper motion of the pulsar should be carried out, which will help verify the association of the pulsar with the bow shock nebula.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/122},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22342053}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 769,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}