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Old pulsars still have new tricks to teach us

26 July 2006

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Artist's impression of a pulsar's magnetosphere

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An artist's impression of the 'luminescent' magnetosphere surrounding a pulsar. The pulsar itself is invisible in this view and sits at the very centre of the image. Above the pulsar's magnetic poles, charged particles are accelerated outwards along the magnetic field lines and produce intense beamed radiation that can be observed by XMM-Newton.

Credits: W.Becker/Max-Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik

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The faint pulsar PSR B1929+10 captured by the unrivalled sensitivity of ESA’s XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray observatory. It is speeding through space in the direction of the arrow at a speed of 177 kilometres per second. At this speed, the pulsar leaves a trail of X-ray emitting electron plasma stretching across space.

Credits: W.Becker/Max-Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik

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