Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the SKA era

TL;DR

This paper discusses how the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will revolutionize the study of pulsar wind nebulae, enabling detailed observations that can address key questions in neutron star physics and particle acceleration.

Contribution

It highlights the potential of SKA1 and SKA2 to significantly advance the understanding of pulsar wind nebulae and related astrophysical phenomena.

Findings

Potential to study hundreds of PWNe in detail with SKA

Insights into neutron star formation and magnetosphere physics

Understanding particle acceleration to PeV energies

Abstract

Neutron stars lose the bulk of their rotational energy in the form of a pulsar wind: an ultra-relativistic outflow of predominantly electrons and positrons. This pulsar wind significantly impacts the environment and possible binary companion of the neutron star, and studying the resultant pulsar wind nebulae is critical for understanding the formation of neutron stars and millisecond pulsars, the physics of the neutron star magnetosphere, the acceleration of leptons up to PeV energies, and how these particles impact the interstellar medium. With the SKA1 and the SKA2, it could be possible to study literally hundreds of PWNe in detail, critical for understanding the many open questions in the topics listed above.