noun
pulsar
PUL-sar/ˈpʌlsɑːr/
A rotating neutron star whose radiation is observed as regular pulses.
The pulsar sends out radiation that reaches Earth in regular pulses.
Etymology
Pulse supplies the image of a regular beat: the star's radiation arrives in recurring pulses. The ending was modeled on quasar, giving the newly identified object a similar astronomical name.
In context
a millisecond pulsar over here that I'm measuring on Earth as the radiation field passes between me and the pulsar, the arrival time of my pulses will oscillate
More examples
- Astronomers detect a distant pulsar with a radio telescope.
- Some pulsars rotate hundreds of times each second.
- The team measures the time between the pulsar's pulses.
Forms
pulsar · pulsars
Similar words
- neutron star
- Broader category that includes stars without observable regular pulses.