Some pulsars may have radiation belts
AUG 28, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026290
Ars Technica : A new type of anomalous neutron star that shows characteristics of both traditional radio pulsars and nonpulsar neutron stars has been detected. The majority of neutron stars are pulsars, whose strong magnetic fields and fast rotation combine to produce pulses of radiation. Anomalous neutron stars rarely emit light in radio frequencies. Some of the slower-rotating stars have atmospheres, as evidenced by absorption lines in other parts of their spectra. PSR J1740+1000 is the first known radio pulsar that also displays absorption, but because of its fast rotation it can’t retain an atmosphere that could account for the lines. Instead, a team of astronomers led by Oleg Kargaltsev suggest that the star may have a particle-filled region in its magnetosphere that resembles Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
