The Tail of PSR J0002+6216 and the Supernova Remnant CTB 1

Abstract

We have carried out VLA imaging and a Fermi timing analysis of the 115 ms gamma-ray and radio pulsar PSR J0002+6216. We found that the pulsar lies at the apex of a narrowly collimated cometary-like 7 arcmin tail of non-thermal radio emission which we identify as a bow-shock pulsar wind nebula. The tail of the nebula points back toward the geometric center of the supernova remnant CTB 1 (G116.9+0.2) 28 arcmin away, at a position angle $θ_μ=113^\circ$. We measure a proper motion with 2.9$σ$ significance from a Fermi timing analysis giving $μ$=115$\pm$33 mas yr$^{-1}$ and $θ_μ=121^\circ\pm{13}^\circ$, corresponding to a large transverse pulsar velocity of 1100 km s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 2 kpc. This proper motion is of the right magnitude and direction to support the claim that PSR J0002+6216 was born from the same supernova that produced CTB 1. We explore the implications for pulsar birth periods, asymmetric supernova explosions, and mechanisms for pulsar natal kick velocities.

14 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL