# Full-3D relativistic MHD simulations of bow shock pulsar wind nebulae: emission and polarization

## TL;DR

This paper uses 3D relativistic MHD simulations to study how magnetic fields and pulsar wind geometry influence the emission and polarization of bow shock pulsar wind nebulae, aiding interpretation of observations.

## Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis combining different emissivity prescriptions with high-resolution simulations to connect nebula properties with observable emission and polarization features.

## Key findings

- Turbulence in the bow shock tail significantly alters emission patterns.
- Polarization measurements can reveal magnetic field and flow structures.
- Viewing angles affect the observed emission and polarization signatures.

## Abstract

Bow shock pulsar wind nebulae are observed with a variety of complex morphologies at different wavelengths, most likely due to differences in the magnetic field strength and pulsar wind geometry. Here we present a detailed analysis, showing how these differences affect the observational properties in these systems, focusing on non-thermal synchrotron emission. By adopting different prescriptions for the local emissivity, on top of the magnetic and flow patterns taken from 3D high-resolution numerical simulations in relativistic MHD, and considering various viewing angles, we try to characterize the main features of the emission and polarization, to verify if and how these can be used to get information, or to put constraints, on known objects. We found for example that conditions leading to a strong development of the turbulence in the bow shock tail produce substantial differences in the emission pattern, especially in polarized light.