Pulsar

A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star whose beams of electromagnetic radiation sweep through space. Its pulses are observed when a beam crosses Earth’s line of sight.

Neutron star: An ultradense stellar remnant composed primarily of neutrons, formed when a massive star’s core collapses. A pulsar is a neutron star whose rotation and emission make it observable as a pulsing source.
Core-collapse supernova: An explosion caused when the core of a massive star collapses at the end of its life. The collapse can leave behind the neutron-star remnant that becomes a pulsar.
Crab Pulsar: A young pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula, left by the supernova observed in 1054. Its rapid spin and bright nebula make it a prominent example of a young pulsar powering its surroundings.
Pulsar timing array: A network of precisely timed millisecond pulsars used to detect correlated variations in pulse arrival times. Arrays search for the low-frequency gravitational-wave background through shared timing shifts.
Magnetar: A neutron star whose exceptionally strong magnetic field powers much of its observed high-energy activity. Magnetars are distinguished by magnetic-field-driven emission rather than ordinary rotation-powered pulsar activity.
Magnetosphere: The region around an astronomical body where its magnetic field governs charged-particle motion. A pulsar’s magnetosphere channels particles and helps produce its radio and high-energy emission.
Angular momentum: A conserved physical quantity that measures rotational motion. Conservation of angular momentum makes a collapsing stellar core spin faster as it shrinks.
Vela Pulsar: A relatively young, bright radio pulsar associated with the Vela supernova remnant. Its glitches have made it a key case for studying neutron-star interiors.
Binary pulsar: A pulsar in orbit around another star or compact object. Orbital timing in binary pulsars tests gravity and measures companion masses.
Rotating radio transient: A neutron star detected through sporadic, isolated bursts of radio emission. Unlike regularly visible pulsars, these sources emit detectable radio pulses only intermittently.

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