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[41.01] Fabry-Perot Imaging of the nearest Millisecond Pulsar Bowshock

E.C. Mann, R.W. Romani (Stanford), A.S. Fruchter (STScI)

We describe observations of the H\alpha wind nebula of PSR J0437-4715 taken with the Rutgers Fabry-Perot Imager at the CTIO 4m Blanco Telescope. These data provide a 3-D (two space + radial velocity) measurement of the nebula spatial and kinematic structure that can be compared with simple momentum conserving models of the interaction between the relativistic pulsar wind and the ambient ISM. We show images of the various kinematic components of the shock flow which detect the nebula to r > 10r₀ = 10 {\dot E_SD}^1/2 (4\pi c \rho v_P²)^-1/2 allowing a good comparison of the shock models with the downstream flow. In addition to the the pulsar distance and proper motion, available from radio pulse timing, we can use the bow shock data to derive i, the inclination of the pulsar velocity v_P to the plane of the sky, providing all 6 components of PSR J0437-4715's motion. The model fits also provide v_ISM, n₀ and f_i -- the LSR velocity, density and ionization fraction of the upstream medium and f_b, the fraction of the shock emission in the broad (charge exchange) component, a diagnostic of conditions in these non-radiative shock waves. We show the best fit 3-D kinematic model and the residuals of the Fabry-Perot data from this model in position and velocity space. We comment on the implications of these measurements for the pulsar dynamics and the structure of the non-radiative shock wave.