A spider pulsar is a type of rapidly spinning neutron star, called a millisecond pulsar, that orbits close to a companion star. These pulsars are incredibly destructive, earning their name from the way they strip away material from their unfortunate companions with powerful winds of energetic particles.
Here's a closer look at their characteristics:
- Formation: Like all pulsars, spider pulsars are born from the collapse of a massive star in a supernova explosion. The remaining core is incredibly dense, becoming a neutron star.
- Rapid Spin: Spider pulsars are millisecond pulsars, meaning they spin incredibly fast, sometimes hundreds of times per second.
- Destructive Winds: These pulsars emit powerful stellar winds that can slowly devour a companion star, particularly if it's a low-mass star like a brown dwarf.
- Close Orbits: The tight orbit between the pulsar and its companion allows the wind to have a significant impact, stripping away material.
Impact and Discovery
- Black Widow Pulsar: The first discovered spider pulsar, PSR B1957+20, is nicknamed the "Black Widow Pulsar" after the deadly spider. It orbits its companion every 9.2 hours.
- X-ray Signature: These pulsars can be observed through X-ray telescopes like Chandra, which can detect the energetic outflows.
- Globular Clusters: Many spider pulsars are found in dense star clusters called globular clusters.
Further Reading
If you'd like to learn more about spider pulsars, here are some helpful resources:
- Chandra Catches Spider Pulsars Destroying Nearby Stars NASA (.gov)
- Black Widow Pulsar Wikipedia
- Astronomers Find Group of Spider Pulsars in Omega Centauri Sci.News