The proper motion and wind nebula of the nearby millisecond pulsar J0437-4715

Abstract

Pulse arrival time measurements have been obtained over a 2 year interval for PSR J0437-4715 using the Parkes radio telescope. These data show that the proper motion of the pulsar is 135 +/- 4 mas/yr at a position angle of 122 deg +/- 2 deg. This agrees well with the proper motion of the optical companion, putting the association beyond doubt. An H-alpha image confirms that the nebulosity first detect by Bell, Bailes, & Bessell is a bow shock associated with the pulsar and shows that its orientation is close to that expected from the proper motion.