A Brief on Pulsar

by ARNAB HALDER

What is Pulsar?
In astronomy, a pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star or
white dwarf that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic
poles. These beams are often observed as pulses of radiation at regular intervals
as the pulsar rotates. Pulsars are fascinating celestial objects that were first
discovered in 1967 by astronomers Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish.
Here's a more detailed explanation of pulsars:

1. Neutron Stars: Pulsars are form a neutron star, its conservation

of angular momentum causes it to
primarily associated with neutron
rotate much faster. Typical pulsars
stars. A neutron star is the remnant
have rotational periods that range
of a massive star that has undergone
from milliseconds to several
a supernova explosion. When a
seconds. As they rotate, they emit
massive star exhausts its nuclear
beams of radiation from their
fuel, it collapses under its own
magnetic poles.
gravitational force, compressing the
core to an extremely high density. 3. Magnetic Field: Pulsars
The protons and electrons in the
possess extremely strong magnetic
core merge to form neutrons,
fields, typically on the order of a
resulting in a compact object made
billion times stronger than Earth's
almost entirely of neutrons. Neutron
magnetic field. These powerful
stars are incredibly dense, with
magnetic fields are a result of the
masses similar to that of our Sun but
original star's magnetic field getting
squeezed into a sphere just a few
amplified during the collapse to the
kilometres in diameter.
small size of a neutron star.
2. Rotation: Pulsars are
4. Radiation Beams: Pulsars
characterized by their rapid rotation.
emit intense beams of
When a massive star collapses to
electromagnetic radiation, mainly in
the form of radio waves, but they can
also emit X-rays and gamma rays. The
beams are not distributed uniformly
around the pulsar; instead, they are
concentrated around the magnetic
poles. As the pulsar rotates, these
beams sweep across space like a
lighthouse, and if one of the beams
points toward Earth, we detect a
pulse of radiation.
5. Pulsar Period and
6. Discovery and
Observations: Pulsars were
discovered using radio telescopes.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony
Hewish observed regular radio
pulses from an unknown source in
the sky, which they initially referred
to as "LGM" (Little Green Men) due
to the regularity of the signals.
However, they soon realized that
these signals were not of extra-
terrestrial origin but were coming
from rapidly spinning neutron stars.

Pulsar Frequency: The pulse 7. Pulsar Types: There are

period is the time interval between
successive pulses, and the pulse
frequency is the number of pulses
emitted per second. These quantities
are inversely related: as the pulsar
slows down over time, the pulse
period increases, and the pulse
frequency decreases.
different types of pulsars, including
radio pulsars (the most common), X-
ray pulsars, and gamma-ray pulsars,
depending on the wavelength of the
radiation they emit.

Pulsars have provided valuable insights into various areas of astrophysics,

such as testing theories of gravity, studying the properties of matter at extreme
densities, and serving as precise cosmic clocks for studying the dynamics of the
Milky Way and beyond. They remain one of the most intriguing objects in the
universe, offering a window into the extreme conditions that can exist in our
cosmos.
 Physics behind Pulsar
The physics behind pulsars in astronomy is rooted in the behaviour of
rotating neutron stars and their powerful magnetic fields. Understanding the
physics of pulsars involves concepts from classical mechanics,
electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and general relativity. Here's a
breakdown of the key physics involved:

1. Neutron Star rotational speed increases

significantly.
Formation: Pulsars are born
from the remnants of massive stars 3. Magnetic Field
that have undergone a supernova Amplification: Neutron stars
explosion. When a massive star
inherit the magnetic fields of the
exhausts its nuclear fuel, it can no
parent massive star, but during the
longer sustain the pressure to
collapse process, these magnetic
support its own gravitational force.
fields get significantly amplified.
The core of the star collapses
The collapse of the star's core
rapidly, and in the case of more
"freezes" the magnetic field lines,
massive stars (about 1.4 to 3 times
effectively compressing them and
the mass of the Sun), the core's
increasing their strength
collapse halts when it becomes
tremendously.
dense enough that electrons and
protons merge to form neutrons. 4. Magnetic Dipole
This results in the formation of a
neutron star.
Radiation: The intense
magnetic field of the neutron star
2. Conservation of plays a crucial role in the emission
of radiation. The magnetic field is
Angular Momentum: The
typically not aligned with the
collapse of the massive star's core
rotational axis, resulting in a tilted
causes it to spin rapidly due to the
magnetic dipole. As the neutron
conservation of angular
star rotates, this misalignment
momentum. Angular momentum is
causes the emission of radiation in
a fundamental property of a
two opposite directions along the
rotating object, and as the core
magnetic axis.
contracts to a much smaller size, its
5. Radiation Beams: The 7. Period and
beams of radiation are emitted Frequency: The rotational
along the magnetic axis and are not
period of a pulsar is the time it
distributed uniformly around the
takes to complete one full rotation,
neutron star. As a result, only a
while the pulse frequency is the
small fraction of neutron stars,
number of pulses emitted per
those with beams pointing towards
second. These are inversely
Earth, are observed as pulsars.
related, meaning that as the pulsar
When one of these beams crosses
slows down over time, the pulse
our line of sight during the neutron
period increases, and the pulse
star's rotation, we observe a pulse
frequency decreases.
of radiation.
8. Energy Source: The
6. Doppler Effect: The
energy powering the emission of
pulsar's rotation causes the
radiation in pulsars comes from the
radiation beams to sweep across
rotational kinetic energy of the
space like a lighthouse. If the
neutron star. As the pulsar emits
beams are pointed away from
radiation, it loses rotational energy,
Earth, we do not detect any
causing it to slow down gradually.
radiation. However, when the
This loss of rotational energy can
beams come toward us, we observe
be significant, leading to a gradual
an increase in radiation intensity
increase in the period of the pulsar.
due to the Doppler effect, which
shifts the frequency of the
radiation to higher values.
The physics of pulsars is complex and involves a variety of interactions
between gravity, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics in the extreme
conditions found in these compact objects. Studying pulsars allows
astronomers to probe fundamental physics, including strong magnetic fields,
relativistic effects, and the behaviour of matter at incredibly high densities.