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A large fraction of core-collapse supernovae are thought to result in the birth of a rotation-powered pulsar, which is later observable as a radio pulsar up to great ages. The birth properties of these pulsars, and in particular the distribution of their initial rotation periods, are however difficult to infer from studies of the radio pulsar population in our Galaxy. Yet the distributions of their birth properties is an important assumption for scenarios in which ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) originate in very young, extragalactic pulsars with short birth periods and/or high magnetic fields.Using a model of the very young pulsar wind nebula’s dynamical and spectral evolution, with pulsar wind and accelerated particle parameters assumed similar to those inferred from modeling young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in our Galaxy, we show that X-ray observations of supernovae, a few years to decades after the explosion, constitute a favored window to obtain meaningful constraints on the initial spin-down luminosity of the newly-formed pulsar. We examine the expected emerging PWN spectral component, taking into account the X-ray opacity of the expanding supernova ejecta, and find that it is typically best detectable in < 10 keV X-rays some years after the explosion. We use this framework to assess available X-ray observations and flux upper limits on supernovae, building on the work of Perna et al. (2008). We note that a resulting limit on spin-down luminosity corresponds univocally to a limit on the maximum magnetospheric acceleration potential, irrespective of the specific combination of magnetic field and rotation period that achieves it. We use available X-ray observations of supernovae to place constraints on the birth spin-down luminosity and period distribution of classical pulsars. We also examine the case of magnetars, born with much higher magnetic fields, and show that their much shorter initial spin-down time implies that any plausible signature of young magnetar wind nebulae can only be observed in harder X-ray or gamma-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A large fraction of core-collapse supernovae are thought to result in the birth of a rotation-powered pulsar, which is later observable as a radio pulsar up to great ages. The birth properties of these pulsars, and in particular the distribution of their initial rotation periods, are however difficult to infer from studies of the radio pulsar population in our Galaxy. Yet the distributions of their birth properties is an important assumption for scenarios in which ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) originate in very young, extragalactic pulsars with short birth periods and/or high magnetic fields.Using a model of the very young pulsar wind nebula’s dynamical and spectral evolution, with pulsar wind and accelerated particle parameters assumed similar to those inferred from modeling young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in our Galaxy, we show that X-ray observations of supernovae, a few years to decades after the explosion, constitute a favored window to obtain meaningful constraints on the initial spin-down luminosity of the newly-formed pulsar. We examine the expected emerging PWN spectral component, taking into account the X-ray opacity of the expanding supernova ejecta, and find that it is typically best detectable in < 10 keV X-rays some years after the explosion. We use this framework to assess available X-ray observations and flux upper limits on supernovae, building on the work of Perna et al. (2008). We note that a resulting limit on spin-down luminosity corresponds univocally to a limit on the maximum magnetospheric acceleration potential, irrespective of the specific combination of magnetic field and rotation period that achieves it. We use available X-ray observations of supernovae to place constraints on the birth spin-down luminosity and period distribution of classical pulsars. We also examine the case of magnetars, born with much higher magnetic fields, and show that their much shorter initial spin-down time implies that any plausible signature of young magnetar wind nebulae can only be observed in harder X-ray or gamma-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We review some recent progresses in semi–analytic kinetic approaches to the problem of non linear particle acceleration at non relativistic shock waves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The standard shock acceleration model of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) does not account for the hard spectrum in radio wavelengths. The origin of the radio-emitting particles is also important to determine the pair production efficiency in the pulsar magnetosphere. Here, we propose a possible resolution for the particle energy distribution in PWNe; the radio-emitting particles are not accelerated at the pulsar wind termination shock but are stochastically accelerated by turbulence inside PWNe. We upgrade our past one-zone spectral evolution model including the energy diffusion, i.e., the stochastic acceleration, and apply to the Crab Nebula. For a particle injection to the stochastic acceleration process, we consider the continuous injection from the supernova ejecta or the impulsive injection associated with supernova explosion. The observed broadband spectrum and the decay of the radio flux are reproduced by tuning the amount of the particle injected to the stochastic acceleration process. Our results imply that some unveiled mechanisms, such as back reaction to the turbulence, are required to make the energies of stochastically and shock accelerated particles comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cosmic Ray (CR) physics has entered a new era driven by high precision measurements coming from direct detection (especially AMS-02 and PAMELA) and also from gamma-ray observations (Fermi-LAT). In this review we focus our attention on how such data impact the understanding of the supernova remnant paradigm for the origin of CRs. In particular we discuss advancement in the field concerning the three main stages of the CR life: the acceleration process, the escape from the sources and the propagation throughout the Galaxy. We show how the new data reveal a phenomenology richest than previously thought that could even challenge the current understanding of CR origin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Cosmic Ray (CR) physics has entered a new era driven by high precision measurements coming from direct detection (especially AMS-02 and PAMELA) and also from gamma-ray observations (Fermi-LAT). In this review we focus our attention on how such data impact the understanding of the supernova remnant paradigm for the origin of CRs. In particular we discuss advancement in the field concerning the three main stages of the CR life: the acceleration process, the escape from the sources and the propagation throughout the Galaxy. We show how the new data reveal a phenomenology richest than previously thought that could even challenge the current understanding of CR origin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]