A compact pulsar wind nebula model of the gamma-ray loud binary LS I +61 303

Understand

We study a model of of LS I +61 303 in which its radio to TeV emission is due to interaction of a relativistic wind from a young pulsar with the wind from its companion Be star.

• We assume the fast polar wind is clumpy, which is typical for radiatively-driven winds.
• The clumpiness cause the two winds to mix.
• The relativistic electrons from the pulsar wind are retained in the moving clumps by inhomogeneities of the magnetic field, which explains the X-ray variability observed on time scales much shorter than the orbital period.