Pulsar (source code)
= Pulsar
{wiki}
= Radio pulsar
{synonym}
A pulsar is a rotating magnetized neutron star whose directed emission is observed as periodic pulses. Rotation supplies the energy of an ordinary radio pulsar.
A <pulsar> turns <stellar rotation> into an observable clock: the <neutron star>'s emission can continue while its beam sweeps past the observer only briefly. The pulse spacing measures a repetition <period>; identifying that <period> with <stellar rotation> requires a physical model. The <discovery of the first pulsar> established a remarkably regular astronomical signal before its engine was understood. Today, <pulsar dispersion delay> also makes these clocks probes of the intervening <interstellar medium>.
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