Pulsar Wind Nebulae: A Treasure Trove of High-energy Astrophysics with Niccolo Bucciantini

Pulsars and their nebulae have been at the forefront of high-energy astrophysics since their discovery. They provides us with a unique laboratory where our understanding of radiation processes, particle acceleration, relativistic plasma physics, and stellar evolution can be put to the test. Since the launch of Chandra in 1999, and thanks to major improvements in our computational tools, a “canonical model” has emerged, enabling us to develop a coordinated picture of this objects. However, the more recent findings by IXPE have clearly shown that some of our former assumptions need to be profoundly reconsidered. I will illustrate the  present and future roles these objects are playing in astrophysics, the many open questions and the more recent finding that still baffle us, and their potential impact on the broader context.

Sponsored by the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences.