The synchrotron-emitting nebulae formed by energetic
winds from young
pulsars provide information on a wide range
phenomena that contribute
to their structure. High resolution X-ray observations
reveal jets and
toroidal structures in many systems, along with knot-
like structures
whose emission is observed to be time-variable. Large-
scale filaments
seen in optical and radio images mark instability regions
where the
expanding nebulae interact with the surrounding ejecta,
and spectral
studies reveal the presence of these ejecta in the form
of thermal X-ray
emission. Infrared studies probe the frequency region
where evolutionary
and magnetic field effects conspire to change the
broadband synchrotron
spectrum dramatically, and studies of the innermost
regions of the nebulae
provide constraints on the spectra of particles entering
the nebula. At
the highest energies, TeV gamma-ray observations
provide a probe of the
spectral region that, for low magnetic fields,
corresponds to particles
with energies just below the X-ray-emitting regime.
In this talk I will summarize the structure of pulsar wind
nebulae,
emphasizing how new observations have helped drive a
recent resurgence
in theoretical modeling of these systems. |