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.

13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (5)

• Extended gamma-ray sources around pulsars constrain the origin of the positron flux at Earth
• Smashing the Guitar: An Evolving Neutron Star Bow Shock
• On the X-ray feature associated with the Guitar Nebula
• On the origin of jet-like features in bow shock pulsar wind nebulae
• The Long Filament of PSR J2030+4415

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• Pulsar-wind-nebula-powered Galactic center X-ray filament G0.13-0.11: Proof of the synchrotron nature by IXPE
• Fast as Potoroo: Radio Continuum Detection of a Bow-Shock Pulsar Wind Nebula Powered by Pulsar J1638-4713
• 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