Recent detections of TeV Pulsar Wind Nebulae with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope

Abstract

Prior to the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, only six pulsars and one associated Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN), the Crab Nebula, had been detected in γ-rays by the CGRO-EGRET experiment. Since then, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard Fermi has significantly increased the number of detected pulsars in the 100 MeV to 300 GeV energy range. A large fraction of these pulsars, characterized by high energy loss rates (Ė from ∼ 3 × 10 33 to ∼ 5 × 10 38 erg/s), is associated to PWNe or candidates observed in the TeV energy range and are likely to power a PWN detectable in the Fermi-LAT energy range, as done for the Crab. Here, we will review the recent results obtained with the Fermi-LAT on TeV Pulsar Wind Nebulae, including the Crab Nebula, Vela-X and MSH 15-52, HESS J1825-137, and give a general overview of the constraints provided by Fermi-LAT non-detections.