Pulsars and their genesis

Abstract

Recent research on the nature of pulsars and the reasons for their formation is reviewed. The magnetospheres of pulsars are discussed, and the significance of binary stars for the genesis of pulsars is addressed. Mechanisms for changing the rotational speed for a neutron star in a binary system are summarized, including the roles of mass accretion and transfer. The discovery of millisecond pulsars is reviewed, and scenarios for the formation of such pulsars are described and used to explain the velocities and distribution of pulsar types in the Galaxy. It is concluded that the progenitors of all pulsars were originally in binary systems.