Probing the Pulsar Wind in the gamma-ray Binary System PSR B1259-63/SS 2883

TL;DR

This study models the spectral energy distribution of the gamma-ray binary PSR B1259-63/SS2883 across its orbit, using synchrotron and inverse Compton processes to probe pulsar wind properties and their variability.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified pulsar wind nebula model to analyze multi-wavelength emission and explores how orbital phase affects pulsar wind characteristics.

Findings

Temporal behavior can probe pulsar wind properties.

X-ray data fitted with two different methods.

Model explains observed spectral energy distribution.

Abstract

The spectral energy distribution from the X-ray to the very high energy regime ($>100$ GeV) has been investigated for the $\gamma$-ray binary system PSR B1259-63/SS2883 as a function of orbital phase within the framework of a simple model of a pulsar wind nebula. The emission model is based on the synchrotron radiation process for the X-ray regime and the inverse Compton scattering process boosting stellar photons from the Be star companion to the very high energy (100GeV-TeV) regime. With this model, the observed temporal behavior can, in principle, be used to probe the pulsar wind properties at the shock as a function of the orbital phase. Due to theoretical uncertainties in the detailed microphysics of the acceleration process and the conversion of magnetic energy into particle kinetic energy, the observed X-ray data for the entire orbit are fit using two different methods.