The X-ray polarization of the jet in the vela PWN

Abstract

In this paper, we studied the X-ray polarization of the jet in the Vela Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN). After the background subtraction, we found a high degree of polarization in the helical jet region, close to the upper limit allowed by the synchrotron radiation mechanism. This result indicates the magnetic field is highly ordered, even though the jet’s morphology is curved and varies rapidly, which suggests that the magnetic collimation process for the jet doesn’t introduce significant turbulence. The polarization angle is perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula, consistent with the results from the magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations. This finding sheds light on the underlying mechanisms related to the dynamics and evolution of the jet structures.