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Key words
Size
accretion disc orbit
By comparing a neutron star with exoplanet pole
Manhattan Island on the same scale, gamma ray pulsar
the neutron star’s very small size can
be visualized. magnestar supernova
millisecond X-ray
neutron star
pulsar X-ray burster
neutron star
Neutron star
types
● Magnestars are neutron stars with
Pulsars magnetic fields that are at least 1,000
● Pulsars are neutron stars that emit a very high rotation rates (pulse periods of
times more intense than Earth’s.
stream of X-rays and gamma rays from less than 25 milliseconds).
Their magnetic fields become
their poles. These are recorded as regular ● Millisecond pulsars are thought to form
weaker over time.
● X-ray bursters are neutron stars that
pulses whenever an observer is in line of when material from a companion star falls
© Diagram Visual Information Ltd.
sight of one of the poles. onto a pulsar, causing it to spin more and
have accretion discs formed from
● As with all neutron stars, a pulsar’s rate more rapidly.
material drawn from orbiting
of rotation slows as time passes. As its ● The first exoplanets to be discovered are
companion stars. Friction in the
rotation slows, the frequency of the pulses in orbit around millisecond pulsars.
accretion disc results in the periodic
is also reduced.
emission of powerful X-ray bursts.
● However, millisecond pulsars are very old
pulsars (one billion years or more) with