Browsing by Author "Hailey, C. J."

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A Multiwavelength Investigation of PSR J2229+6114 and its Pulsar Wind Nebula in the Radio, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Bands
    (IOP, 2024-01) Pope, I.; Mori, K.; Abdelmaguid, M.; Gelfand, J. D.; Reynolds, S. P.; Safi-Harb, S.; Hailey, C. J.; An, H.; (NuSTAR Collaboration); Bangale, P.; Batista, P.; Benbow, W.; Buckley, J. H.; Capasso, M.; Christiansen, J. L.; Chromey, A. J.; Falcone, A.; Feng, Q.; Finley, J. P.; Foote, G. M.; Gallagher, G.; Hanlon, W. F.; Hanna, D.; Hervet, O.; Holder, J.; Humensky, T. B.; Jin, W.; Kaaret, P.; Kertzman, M.; Kieda, D.; Kleiner, T. K.; Korzoun, N.; Krennrich, F.; Kumar, S.; Lang, M. J.; Maier, G.; McGrath, C. E.; Mooney, C. L.; Moriarty, P.; Mukherjee, R.; O'Brien, S.; Ong, R. A.; Park, N.; Patel, S. R.; Pfrang, K.; Pohl, M.; Pueschel, E.; Quinn, J.; Ragan, K.; Reynolds, P. T.; Roache, E.; Sadeh, I.; Saha, L.; Sembroski, G. H.; Tak, D.; Tucci, J. V.; Weinstein, A.; Williams, D. A.; Woo, J.; (VERITAS Collaboration); Physics, School of Science
    G106.3+2.7, commonly considered to be a composite supernova remnant (SNR), is characterized by a boomerang-shaped pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and two distinct ("head" and "tail") regions in the radio band. A discovery of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission (Eγ > 100 GeV) followed by the recent detection of ultrahigh-energy gamma-ray emission (Eγ > 100 TeV) from the tail region suggests that G106.3+2.7 is a PeVatron candidate. We present a comprehensive multiwavelength study of the Boomerang PWN (100'' around PSR J2229+6114) using archival radio and Chandra data obtained two decades ago, a new NuSTAR X-ray observation from 2020, and upper limits on gamma-ray fluxes obtained by Fermi-LAT and VERITAS observatories. The NuSTAR observation allowed us to detect a 51.67 ms spin period from the pulsar PSR J2229+6114 and the PWN emission characterized by a power-law model with Γ = 1.52 ± 0.06 up to 20 keV. Contrary to the previous radio study by Kothes et al., we prefer a much lower PWN B-field (B ∼ 3 μG) and larger distance (d ∼ 8 kpc) based on (1) the nonvarying X-ray flux over the last two decades, (2) the energy-dependent X-ray size of the PWN resulting from synchrotron burn-off, and (3) the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) data. Our SED model suggests that the PWN is currently re-expanding after being compressed by the SNR reverse shock ∼1000 yr ago. In this case, the head region should be formed by GeV–TeV electrons injected earlier by the pulsar propagating into the low-density environment.