Abstract
The recent detection of a young pulsar powering "the Mouse", G359.23 - 0.82, as well as detailed imaging of surrounding nebular X-ray emission, have motivated us to investigate the structural details and polarization characteristics of the radio emission from this axisymmetric source with a supersonic bow shock. Using polarization data at 3.6 and 6 cm, we find that the magnetic field wraps around the bow-shock structure near the apex of the system, but downnstream runs parallel to the inferred direction of the pulsar's motion. The rotation measure (RM) distribution of the Mouse also suggests that the low degree of polarization combined with a high RM ahead of the pulsar result from internal plasma within the bow-shock region. In addition, using sub-arcsecond radio image of the Mouse, we identify modulations in the brightness distribution of the Mouse that may be associated with the unshocked pulsar wind behind the pulsar. Lastly, we discuss the relationship between the Mouse and its neighboring shell-type supernova remnant G359.1 - 0.5 and argue that these two sources could potentially have the same origin.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1129-1136 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Advances in Space Research |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2005 |
Funding
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. B.M.G. acknowledges the support of NASA through SAO grant GO2-3075X and LTSA grant NAG5-13032. F.Y.Z. was funded by NSF AST-03074234 and NASA NAG-9205. We also thank M. Wardle for useful discussion.
Keywords
- ISM: individual: (G359.23 - 0.82)
- Outflows
- Pulsars: individual (J1747 - 2958)
- Stars: neutron
- Stars: winds
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aerospace Engineering
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Geophysics
- Atmospheric Science
- Space and Planetary Science
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences