Pulsar
A highly magnetized, rotating neutron star emitting beams of electromagnetic radiation.
Definition
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation from its magnetic poles. Because the rotation axis and magnetic axis are misaligned, the beams sweep through space like a lighthouse, appearing as precisely timed pulses to observers when the beam crosses their line of sight. Pulsars are among the most precise natural clocks and are used to test general relativity and detect gravitational waves.
Example
“The Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, discovered in 1974, consists of two neutron stars orbiting each other; precise timing of the pulsar's radio pulses revealed the orbit is shrinking exactly as predicted by general relativity's gravitational wave emission, earning the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics.”
Synonyms
- rotating neutron star
- millisecond pulsar
- radio pulsar
Images
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Related Terms
- Neutron Star
- Gravitational Wave
- General Relativity
- Supernova