1. High-energy flux evolution of Pulsar Wind Nebulae.
- Author
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Mattana, F., Falanga, M., Götz, D., Terrier, R., Esposito, P., Pellizzoni, A., De Luca, A., Marandon, V., Goldwurm, A., and Caraveo, P.
- Subjects
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GAMMA rays , *PULSARS , *NEBULAE , *COMPTON electrons , *SCATTERING (Physics) , *SYNCHROTRONS - Abstract
The very high energy γ-ray spectra of Pulsar Wind Nebulae are interpreted as due to inverse Compton scattering of ultrarelativistic electrons on the ambient photons, whereas their X-ray spectra are due to synchrotron emission. We investigate the relation between the γ- and X-ray emission and the pulsars’ spin-down luminosity and characteristic age. We find that the γ-to X-ray flux ratio of the nebulae is inversely proportional to the spin-down luminosity (∝Ė-1.9) and to the characteristic age (∝τc2.2) of the parent pulsar. We interpret these results as due to the evolution of the electron energy distribution and the nebular dynamics, supporting the idea of so-called relic pulsar wind nebulae. These empirical relations provide a new tool to classify unidentified diffuse γ-ray sources and to estimate the spin-down luminosity and characteristic age for four rotation powered pulsars with no detected pulsation from the X- and γ—ray properties of the associated pulsar wind nebulae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
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