ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: Radio Emission from the Crab Wisps
Volume: 271, Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants
Page: 147
Authors: Bietenholz, M. F.; Frail, D. A.; Hester, J. J.
Abstract: We present four new, high-resolution radio images of the Crab Nebula, taken between 1998 and 2001. We find significant variability in the region near the pulsar on a timescale of < 2 months. We show that there are rapidly moving features with an elliptical geometry very similar to that of the optical wisps, and propose that they are the radio counterparts of the optical wisps. An apparent speed of 0.28c is measured for one wisp. The similarity in both morphology and behavior of the radio wisps to the optical wisps strongly suggests that they are associated, which implies that the radio wisps are likely also manifestations of the shock in the Crab pulsar's wind. This suggests that the radio emitting electrons are accelerated in the same region as the ones responsible for the optical to X-ray emission, contrary to most current models.
Back to Volume