Fast-Spinning Neutron Star Discovered (1 of 9) (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Fast-Spinning Neutron Star Discovered (1 of 9)

Caption

This artist's impression shows the speedy companion (right) as it races around the pulsar J1311-3430 (left). The energetic gamma-radiation emitted by the pulsar heats and consequently evaporates the companion. The pulsar is surrounded by its strong magnetic field (blue). This image relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 25, 2012, issue of Science Express, published by AAAS. The paper, by Holger Pletsch at Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) in Hannover, Germany, and colleagues was titled, “Binary Millisecond Pulsar Discovery via Gamma-Ray Pulsations."

Credit

[Image courtesy of NASA (pulsar), NASA/ESA, M.J. Jee and H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University) (Hubble Field), AEI/Milde Marketing Science Communication]

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