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Pulsars
A pulsar is nothing more than a young neutron star, with a pole that points towards Earth.
88 Questions
Are pulsars important to people on earth?
Yes, pulsars are important because they provide valuable information about the properties of dense matter and can be used to test theories in physics. They also help scientists study the dynamics of the universe, including understanding the origins of galaxies and the behavior of cosmic magnetic fields.
Can a pulsar be an unstable red giant?
No, a pulsar cannot be an unstable red giant. Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars formed after a massive star has gone supernova. Red giants are much less dense and undergo expansion and contraction phases as they evolve into other stages of stellar evolution.
How does an accretion disk around a neutron star differ from an accretion disk around a white dwarf?
An accretion disk around a neutron star is composed of gas and plasma spiraling into the dense neutron star due to its strong magnetic field and intense gravitational pull, leading to high-energy emissions. In contrast, an accretion disk around a white dwarf is typically composed of lighter elements like hydrogen and helium, with the white dwarf's lower mass resulting in lower energy emissions.
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic energy.
Neutron stars form when the core of a massive star collapses and goes supernova leaving behind a neutron star which will begin rotating and releasing energy.
What is the closest pulsar to earth?
The closest known pulsar to Earth is the PSR J0108-1431, which is located about 424 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. Pulsars are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation.
What do you mean when you say every pulsar is a neutron star but not every neutron star is a pulsar?
All "pulsars" are neutron stars - it's just "we" term pulsars as neutron stars who's orientation towards us shows the beam of electromagnetic radiation.
Other neutron stars who's orientation, do not point towards us are not called pulsars, although they exhibit the same characteristics.
Are all neutron stars also pulsars?
No, not all neutron stars are pulsars. Pulsars are neutron stars that emit beams of radiation that are detectable from Earth as rapid pulses of light. While many neutron stars are pulsars, not all neutron stars exhibit this pulsing behavior.
How fast does a pulsar rotate?
It depends on how old the pulsar is, as over time their rapid rotation slows.
The fasted known pulsar rotate about once every 1.4 milliseconds whilst the slowest takes about 8.5 seconds to rotate.
1. A neutron star is cooling down and does not emit any electromagnetic radiation, whereas a pulsar will always be hot and emit a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation.
WHY?
If the supernova is really strong, it may tear out some electrons from the core, so that the core will be only made of ions. The ions' electrons and protons will then be squashed onto neutrons with an electrical charge. After the supernova has occurred, the core alone will be left. It will be very small and spin really fast. As far as we all know, if electricity (object with an electrical charge) is spinning (making circles), it emits beams of electromagnetic radiation. The more electricity there is, the faster it goes the more electromagnetic radiation it emits. Because a pulsar is unbelievably dens (has a mass of about 10 Suns and has a diameter from half a mile to 20 km. A peanut there would way millions of tons) and spins about 30 times a second around its axis, it emits a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation. It is strong enough to attract some massive objects. It is bright and hot (produces energy), because it turns the objects it attracts (which are coming in the form of dust and gas) into solid. This produces loads of energy.
If the supernova is not that powerful, it does not tear out enough electrons from the core, so the core will be made of atoms. As far as we know, atoms do not have electrical charge. If that's the case, a neutron star will be formed.
2. There is no such a car called the 'Neutron star', whereas the 'pulsar' is a variety of Nissan.
I hope that either I have answered your question or you find this information useful.
Tnx 4 reading
Pulsars cannot be spinning white dwarfs because?
because of the great mass of the star, the gravity of it is very high. So after its death, it actually contracts so tightly that even protons and electrons combine to form neutron and thus results to a star called neutron star. If its previous mass is considerably low, then it could have become a white dwarf
What effect do neutron stars and pulsars have on Earth?
Hardly any - they are very far away. However, a supernova (which would come before a neutron star) could have catastrophic effects on Earth, if it were to happen in our neighborhood (up to a few thousand light years!).
Why don't pulsars emit pulses of visible light?
Pulsars emit pulses of radio waves because their strong magnetic fields accelerate charged particles, causing them to emit these waves. The energy distribution of the particles in a pulsar's magnetosphere favors radio waves over visible light.
What are the glitches occasionally observed by astronomers studying pulsars?
Some glitches observed in pulsars are sudden increases in their rotation rate, followed by a slower recovery to the original spin. This is thought to be caused by the transfer of angular momentum between the superfluid interior of the neutron star and its solid crust. Glitches provide valuable insights into the interior structure of neutron stars.
The connection between pulsars and neutron stars is explained by what model?
The connection between pulsars and neutron stars is explained by the generally accepted model that pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation from their magnetic poles, causing periodic signals to be observed when the beams cross our line of sight. This emission of radiation is what gives rise to the pulsed nature of pulsar signals.
What is the difference between a quasar and a pulsar?
Pulsars(short for PULSAting Radio Stars) are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars that emit a beam of electromagnetic radiation in the form of radio waves. Their observed rotational periods range from 1.4 ms to 8.5 seconds The radiation can only be observed when the beam is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the "lighthouse effect" and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name. Because neutron stars are very dense objects, the rotation period and thus the interval between observed pulses are very regular. For some pulsars, the regularity of pulsation is as precise as an atomic clock. Pulsars are known to have planets orbiting them, as in the case of PSR B1257+12.
A quasar (contraction of QUASi-stellAR radio source) is an extremely powerful and distant active galactic nucleus. They were first identified as being high redshift sources of electromagnetic energy, including radio waves and visible light that were point-like, similar to stars, rather than extended sources similar to galaxies. While there was initially some controversy over the nature of these objects, there is now a scientific consensus that a quasar is a compact region 10-10000 Schwarzschild radii across surrounding the central supermassive black hole of a galaxy. It is a very large object at the centre of a very distant, and hence very old, galaxy. It has a mass of thousands or even millions of times that of our sun. As matter is dragged into it, it emits huge amounts of radio waves, but because it is so far away it appears to us as a point source - hence quasi stellar.
A pulsar is made primarily of neutrons, packed tightly together in a dense core known as a neutron star. Neutron stars are formed from the remnants of massive stars that have exploded in supernovae. Their incredibly strong magnetic fields and rapid rotation cause them to emit beams of electromagnetic radiation, leading to the characteristic pulses that give pulsars their name.
What group is white dwarf red giant and pulsar?
Those are all types of stellar objects. White dwarfs are dense, Earth-sized remnants of low to medium mass stars, red giants are large, cool stars near the end of their life cycle, and pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation.
Is a pulsar a part of the solar system?
No, a pulsar is not a part of the solar system. Pulsars are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation, while the solar system consists of the Sun, planets, and other celestial objects that are gravitationally bound to the Sun.
Where does the energy of a pulsar came from?
The energy of a pulsar comes from its rotation as it slows down, converting rotational energy into radiation and particle acceleration. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars, and as they slow down over time, they emit electromagnetic radiation in the form of beams that sweep across our line of sight.
Can you see pulsars with the naked eye?
Rarely.
But if a star that is normally visible with the naked eye during the night does go supernova, you will definitely see it -some have. In some cases it may even be visible during the day.
Why did astronomers first assume that the millisecond pulsar was very young?
Astronomers first assumed that the millisecond pulsar was very young because its high speed of rotation suggested that it had undergone a significant amount of spin-up in a short period of time. This led them to believe that it had been spun-up recently, which is typically associated with young pulsars.
The true statement is: "A pulsar requires that a neutron star rotates rapidly." Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, which emit beams of electromagnetic radiation along their magnetic poles, leading to their characteristic pulsed signals as they rotate. The other conditions mentioned are not essential for a neutron star to become a pulsar.
What is the favored explanation for the rapid spin rate of millisecond pulsar?
The favored explanation for the rapid spin rate of millisecond pulsars is that they are formed through the process of accretion from a binary companion. As material falls onto the pulsar from the companion star, its rotation speed increases due to conservation of angular momentum. This process can ultimately accelerate the pulsar to millisecond spin periods.
Why were astronomers surprised to find a pulsar with a planetary system?
A pulsar is a rapidly spinning neutron star, and a neutron star is created when its host star explodes as a massive supernova explosion.
Any planets, which formed along with the host star, should have been destroyed or ejected out of orbit when the star blew itself apart.
Yet, one of the first extrasolar planets found was located around a millisecond pulsar PSR B1257+12.
It is now believed that these planets are either the rocky core remains of massive gas giants (chthonian planets), or planets that had formed from the remains of the supernova explosion during a period of secondary planetary formation.
See related questions for more information.
