Abstract
Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are synchrotron nebulae powered by magnetized relativistic outflows from rotation-powered pulsars. When such pulsars move supersonically through the ambient interstellar medium, their winds can form bow-shock PWNe with cometary morphologies. Some bow-shock PWNe exhibit long tails with offset, bubble-like structures whose physical origin remains uncertain. We investigate two such systems—the PWN powered by PSR J1358−6025 and the Potoroo nebula associated with PSR J1638−4713—using radio continuum and polarization observations obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 5.5 and 9.0 GHz. At these frequencies, radio emission from both nebulae is detected primarily in their head regions and shows high-confidence linear polarization, with reliable rotation measures obtained in the same regions. We use resolved Stokes I, linear-polarization, and rotation-measure maps to examine the radio morphology and Faraday-corrected plane-of-sky magnetic-field structures. Comparing the two systems allows us to investigate the organization of their inner magnetic fields and post-shock flows. These measurements establish an observational basis for assessing how conditions near the pulsars may influence the development of extended downstream structures in long-tailed bow-shock PWNe.
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