pulsar

[puhl-sahr]

noun

1. Astronomy.,  one of several hundred known celestial objects, generally believed to be rapidly rotating neutron stars, that emit pulses of radiation, especially radio waves, with a high degree of regularity.

pulsar

/ ˈpʌlˌsɑː /

noun

1. any of a number of very small extremely dense objects first observed in 1967, which rotate very rapidly and emit very regular pulses of polarized radiation, esp radio waves. They are thought to be neutron stars formed following supernova explosions

pulsar

1. A rapidly spinning neutron star that emits radiation, usually radio waves, in narrow beams focused by the star's powerful magnetic field and streaming outward from its magnetic poles. Because the pulsar's magnetic poles do not align with the poles of its rotational axis, the beams of radiation sweep around like the beacon of a lighthouse and are thus observed on Earth as short, regular pulses, with periods anywhere between 1 millisecond and 4 seconds.

pulsar

1. A rapidly rotating neutron star. The radiation from such a star appears to come in a series of regular pulses (one per revolution), which explains the name.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulsar¹

1965–70; puls(ating st)ar, on the model of quasar

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulsar¹

C20: from puls ( ating st ) ar, on the model of _quasar

Example Sentences

During this mission, the instrument also collected data from the Crab pulsar and its surrounding wind nebula, one of the brightest and most stable sources of X-rays in the sky.

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Electronic music starts to thump, rubbery pulsars bouncing over a steady beat.

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This discrepancy led many to favor another explanation: ancient, fast-spinning neutron stars known as millisecond pulsars.

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Light emitted from reinvigorated, old neutron stars that spin quickly -- called millisecond pulsars -- could also explain the existing gamma ray map, measurements and signal signature.

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Their method takes advantage of "beat" effects that occur when two gravitational waves have nearly the same frequency, searching for their subtle influence on the arrival times of pulsars' radio signals.

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