Speaker
Description
Pulsar Wind Nebulae are highly intriguing astrophysical objects in many respects. They are the brightest and closest class of relativistic sources, and hence the ultimate laboratory for the physics of relativistic plasmas, where we can study in unique detail processes such as acceleration and collimation of relativistic outlfows, or the acceleration of particles at relativistic shocks. These sources have recently attracted the attention of the Cosmic Ray physics community, as potential sources of cosmic ray positrons and PeV gamma-rays.
I will review the current status of our understanding of Pulsar Wind Nebulae, as it emerges from modeling of their dynamics and high energy astrophysical observations. I will then discuss the emission of radiation and particles from these objects in the context of Ultra High Energy (>100 TeV) gamma radiation and of their contribution to the cosmic ray positron excess.
