Energy-dependent extension of the Crab Nebula as a diagnostic of ultrahigh-energy hadronic emission

Abstract

The energy-dependent apparent extension of the Crab Nebula, inconsistent with leptonic expectations between X-ray and TeV bands, can be naturally accounted for in a spatially resolved lepto-hadronic scenario. A transition to hadronic dominance occurs above $\sim 400\mathrm{TeV}$, with nearly pure hadronic emission at PeV energies. The predicted $68\%$ containment radius at $1.1\mathrm{PeV}$ is $\sim 1.4^{\prime }$, about six times larger than in purely leptonic scenarios. This energy-dependent extension therefore provides an observable discriminator of the origin of ultra-high-energy gamma-ray emission in pulsar wind nebulae, offering a diagnostic of PeV hadronic acceleration in the Crab Nebula.

5 pages, 3 figures. Published in Physical Review D

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