A Search for TeV Gamma-ray Emission from Pulsar Tails by VERITAS

TL;DR

This study searches for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from pulsar tails using VERITAS but finds no clear detection, providing upper limits and implications for future observations and pulsar tail properties.

Contribution

First search for TeV gamma-ray emission from pulsar tails with VERITAS, setting upper limits and comparing with models and other pulsar wind nebulae.

Findings

No clear TeV detection from the three pulsar tails.

At least one tail could be detected with 2-3 times more sensitive observations.

Upper limits constrain models of pulsar tail emission.

Abstract

We report on the search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the regions around three nearby supersonic pulsars (PSR B0355+54, PSR J0357+3205 and PSR J1740+1000) that exhibit long X-ray tails. To date there is no clear detection of TeV emission from any pulsar tail that is prominent in X-ray or radio. We provide upper limits on the TeV flux, and luminosity, and also compare these limits with other pulsar wind nebulae detected in X-rays and the tail emission model predictions. We find that at least one of the three tails is likely to be detected in observations that are a factor of 2-3 more sensitive. The analysis presented here also has implications for deriving the properties of pulsar tails, for those pulsars whose tails could be detected in TeV.