X-ray pulsars

X-ray pulsars are a type of neutron star—extremely dense remnants of massive stars—that spinning rapidly emit focused beams of X-rays from their magnetic poles. As the neutron star rotates, these beams sweep across space like lighthouse beams. When the beam points toward Earth, we detect a pulse of X-rays, creating a regular pattern of bright flashes. These pulsars often form in binary systems, where the neutron star pulls material from a companion star, fueling the X-ray emissions. Their regular pulsing helps scientists study extreme states of matter, magnetic fields, and stellar evolution.