What causes a pulsar star?

[CometPhoenix]

I understand that they are neutrons stars and I'm sure they have something to do with the way the star dies (supernova), but why do they seem to pulse? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#0000ff">What ever happens, happens/</font><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="3">Just call me Phoenix</font></font></font></p></font> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I understand that they are neutrons stars and I'm sure they have something to do with the way the star dies (supernova), but why do they seem to pulse? <br /> Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV></p><p>They emit jets of radiation in the direction of their magnetic poles and they spin incredibly fast due to the conservation of angular momentum.&nbsp; If the earth happens to be in the path of those jets as the neutron star rotates, we get our pulses. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

<p>To elaborate a bit, they spin so quickly because of conservation of momentum during their collapse.&nbsp; (Only a very massive star, but one not quite big enough to become a black hole, can become a pulsar, because they have to collapse a great deal very quickly.)&nbsp; It's exactly like an ice skater pulling in her arms while spinning and speeding up her rotation as a result.&nbsp; I think their tight beams of radiation are also related to the fact that they are incredibly dense objects which were created by supernova, but I'm not at all clear on why they emit such powerful "searchlight" jets of radiation. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[majornature]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>To elaborate a bit, they spin so quickly because of conservation of momentum during their collapse.&nbsp; (Only a very massive star, but one not quite big enough to become a black hole, can become a pulsar, because they have to collapse a great deal very quickly.)&nbsp; It's exactly like an ice skater pulling in her arms while spinning and speeding up her rotation as a result.&nbsp; I think their tight beams of radiation are also related to the fact that they are incredibly dense objects which were created by supernova, but I'm not at all clear on why they emit such powerful "searchlight" jets of radiation. <br />Posted by CalliArcale</DIV></p><p>To add more to it...these pulsar stars can spin up to thirty times a second give or take....right<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>To add more to it...these pulsar stars can spin up to thirty times a second give or take....right <br />Posted by majornature</DIV><br /><br />Actually, the fastest known pulsar (from what I can find) spins 716 times per second!!</p><p>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSR_J1748-2446ad</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[CometPhoenix]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>To elaborate a bit, they spin so quickly because of conservation of momentum during their collapse.&nbsp; (Only a very massive star, but one not quite big enough to become a black hole, can become a pulsar, because they have to collapse a great deal very quickly.)&nbsp; It's exactly like an ice skater pulling in her arms while spinning and speeding up her rotation as a result.&nbsp; I think their tight beams of radiation are also related to the fact that they are incredibly dense objects which were created by supernova, but I'm not at all clear on why they emit such powerful "searchlight" jets of radiation. <br />Posted by CalliArcale</DIV><br /><br />Would they be considered as the "missing link" between a neutron star and a black hole? And wouldn't that mean that the faster they spin, the stronger the gravitational pull? Idk, my idea sounds like it would deify the laws of physics, or possibly have something to do with dark matter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#0000ff">What ever happens, happens/</font><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="3">Just call me Phoenix</font></font></font></p></font> </div>

 

[origin]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Would they be considered as the "missing link" between a neutron star and a black hole? And wouldn't that mean that the faster they spin, the stronger the gravitational pull? Idk, my idea sounds like it would deify the laws of physics, or possibly have something to do with dark matter. <br />Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV><br /><br />A pulsar is a neutron star and the spin will not affect the gravity; gravity is a property&nbsp;due the stars mass. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>