A Quarter Century of Guitar Nebula/Filament Evolution

Abstract

We have collected a new deep {\it Chandra X-ray Observatory} ({\it CXO}) exposure of PSR B2224+65 and the `Guitar Nebula', mapping the complex X-ray structure. This is accompanied by a new {\it HST} H$\alpha$ image of the head of the Guitar. Comparing the {\it HST} and {\it CXO} structures in 4 epochs over 25 years, we constrain the evolution of the TeV particles that light up the filament. Cross-field diffusion appears to be enhanced, likely by the injected particles, behind the filament's sharp leading edge, explaining the filament width and its evolving surface brightness profile.

arXiv comment13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

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• The middle-aged pulsar PSR J1741-2054 and its bow-shock nebula in far ultraviolet
• Fast and "lossless" propagation of relativistic electrons along magnetized non-thermal filaments in galaxy clusters and the Galactic Center region
• Self-confinement of relativistic pair beams in magnetized interstellar plasmas: the case of pulsar X-ray filaments