Scientists from the Western Sydney University in Australia and other scientific centers have made an exciting discovery in the field of astronomy. They have reported the finding of a new pulsar wind tumor (PWNE), and have identified the pulsar responsible for its energy source. The results of their study have been published on Arxiv, a popular repository for scientific papers.
The discovery of the new PWNE was made possible through the use of radio telescopes such as the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), Meerkat, and Parkes.
Pulsar winds are nebulae composed of charged particles, and their energy comes from the wind of a pulsar. When this wind encounters the space surrounding the pulsar, particularly the remnants of a supernova, a pulsar wind tumor is formed. Over time, the particles in the PWNE lose energy due to radiation as they move away from the central pulsar.
Under the leadership of Sanji Lazarevich from the Western Sydney University, astronomers discovered a new PWNE using reviews obtained from Askap and Meerkat. They named this newly discovered PWNE “Potor,” after a small marsupial native to Australia.
Using the Parkes Ultra-WideBand Low (UWL) frequency system, the scientists then found a candidate for the pulsar responsible for the energy source of the PWNE. This pulsar was designated PSR J1638-4713. Subsequent observations confirmed that this pulsar is indeed the source of energy for the PWNE.
The observations also revealed that the PWNE has a comet-like morphology in radio and X-ray ranges, indicating that the pulsar is moving at supersonic speeds through its environment.
The authors of the study explain that when pulsars move at supersonic speeds through their environment, the resulting pressure transforms the PWNE into a shock-deferred structure. This process limits the pulsar wind in the opposite direction of the pulsar, forming a tail similar to that of a comet.
According to the study, the “Potor” is located at a distance of at least 32,500 light years and has a radio size of approximately 68.5 light years. In the X-ray range, its size is 10 times smaller. This makes the “Potor” possess the longest radio attributes among all the PWNEs known to date.
Additionally, the study reveals that the “Potor” displays an unusually cool general radio spectrum with a level of -1.27, which is lower than typical values for well-known PWNEs. The astronomers suggest that