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Energy-dependent extension of the Crab Nebula as a diagnostic of ultrahigh-energy hadronic emission

Fang-Wu Lu, Bo-Tao Zhu, Ji-Yang Ren, Li Zhang

astro-ph.HEarXiv:2608.25497

Abstract

The energy-dependent apparent extension of the Crab Nebula, inconsistent with leptonic expectations between X-ray and TeV bands, can be naturally accounted for in a spatially resolved lepto-hadronic scenario. A transition to hadronic dominance occurs above 400~TeV, with nearly pure hadronic emission at PeV energies. The predicted 68\% containment radius at 1.1~PeV is 1.4', about six times larger than in purely leptonic scenarios. This energy-dependent extension therefore provides an observable discriminator of the origin of ultra-high-energy gamma-ray emission in pulsar wind nebulae, offering a diagnostic of PeV hadronic acceleration in the Crab Nebula.

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