Diffusion in pulsar wind nebulae: an investigation using magnetohydrodynamic and particle transport models

Abstract

We study the transport of high-energy particles in pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and test-particle simulations, as well as a Fokker–Planck particle transport model. The latter includes radiative and adiabatic losses, diffusion, and advection on the background flow of the simulated MHD nebula. By combining the models, the spatial evolution of flux and photon index of the X-ray synchrotron emission is modelled for the three nebulae G21.5−0.9, the inner regions of Vela, and 3C 58, thereby allowing us to derive governing parameters: the magnetic field strength, average flow velocity, and spatial diffusion coefficient. For comparison, the nebulae are also modelled with the semi-analytic Kennel & Coroniti model but the Porth et al. model generally yields better fits to the observational data. We find that high velocity fluctuations in the turbulent nebula (downstream of the termination shock) give rise to efficient diffusive transport of particles, with average Péclet number close to unity, indicating that both advection and diffusion play an important role in particle transport. We find that the diffusive transport coefficient of the order of ∼ 2 × 1027(Ls/0.42 Ly) cm2 s− 1 (Ls is the size of the termination shock) is independent of energy up to extreme particle Lorentz factors of γp ∼ 1010