A search for near infrared counterparts of three pulsar wind nebulae^⋆

¹ Laboratoire AIM, CEA/IRFU-Université Paris Diderot-CNRS/INSU, CEA DSM/IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
e-mail: peter.curran@cea.fr
² François Arago Centre, APC, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/DSM, Observatoire de Paris, 13 rue Watt, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France

Received: 23 May 2011
Accepted: 12 September 2011

Abstract

Context. While pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) and their associated isolated pulsars are commonly detected at X-ray energies, they are much rarer at near infrared (nIR) and optical wavelengths.

Aims. Here we examine three PWN systems in the Galactic plane – IGR J14003−6326, HESS J1632 − 478 and IGR J18490 − 0000 – in a bid to identify optical/nIR emission associated with either the extended PWNe or their previously detected X-ray point sources.

Methods. We obtain optical/nIR images of the three fields with the ESO – New Technology Telescope and apply standard photometric and astrometric calibrations.

Results. We find no evidence of any extended emission associated with the PWNe in any of the fields; neither do we find any new counterparts to the X-ray point sources, except to confirm the magnitude of the previously identified counterpart candidate of IGR J18490 − 0000.

Conclusions. Further observations are required to confirm the association of the nIR source to IGR J18490 − 0000 and to detect counterparts to IGR J14003−6326 and HESS J1632 − 478, while a more accurate X-ray position is required to reduce the probability of a chance superposition in the field of the latter.