Proper motion of the Crab pulsar

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Abstract
From photographic plates covering epochs 1899 to 1976 a new determination of the absolute proper motion of the Crab pulsar gives: |${\mu }_\text{p}={0}^{\prime{}\prime}.013\pm {0}^{\prime{}\prime}.004/\text{yr}$| and a position angle |${\theta }_\text{p}={293}^{^{\circ} }\pm {18}^{^{\circ} }$|⁠, in fair accord with previous results. For a distance to the Crab nebula of 2 kpc, the corresponding tangential velocity is 123 km/s. Combining this result with a linear regression analysis of Trimble's proper motions for the filaments: (1) provides conclusive kinematic evidence linking the filaments and the pulsar, (2) predicts an outburst date (AD 1120 ± 7), earlier than previously found, and (3) indicates a divergent point for the filaments at |$\alpha (1950)={05}^\text{h}\,{31}^\text{m}\,{32}^\text{s}.12\,\pm \,{0}^\text{s}.06\,\text{and}\,\delta (1950)\,=\,+{21}^{^{\circ} }\,{58}^{\prime}\,{50}^{\prime{}\prime}.0\,\pm \,{0}^{\prime{}\prime}.9$| on the AGK3 reference system. From the present position of the pulsar and the divergent point, an independent determination of the absolute proper motion of the pulsar gives |${\mu }_\text{p}\,=\,{0}^{\prime{}\prime}.011\,\pm \,{0}^{\prime{}\prime}.001/\text{yr}\,\text{and}\,{\theta }_\text{p}\,=\,{290}^{^{\circ} }\,\pm \,{6}^{^{\circ} }$|⁠, in excellent agreement with the classical proper motion analysis. Within the observational errors, the projected direction of motion of the Crab pulsar is (1) along the major axis of the nebula, (2) toward the centroids of optical continuum (Scargle's wisps) and X-ray emission and (3) parallel to E in the vicinity of the pulsar.

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