Editing X-ray pulsar (section)

== Characteristics ==
An X-ray [[pulsar]] is a type of [[binary star system]] consisting of a typical star (stellar companion) in orbit around a magnetized [[neutron star]]. The [[magnetic field]] strength at the surface of the neutron star is typically about 10<sup>8</sup> [[Tesla (unit)|Tesla]], over a trillion times stronger than the strength of the magnetic field measured at the [[Earth's magnetic field|surface of the Earth]] (60 [[Tesla (unit)|μT]]).

Gas is accreted from the stellar companion and is channeled by the neutron star's magnetic field on to the magnetic poles producing two or more localized X-ray hot spots, similar to the two [[Aurora (astronomy)|auroral zones]] on Earth, but far hotter. At these hotspots the infalling gas can reach half the [[speed of light]] before it impacts the neutron star surface. So much [[gravitational energy|gravitational potential energy]] is released by the infalling gas, that the hotspots, which are estimated to about one square kilometer in area, can be ten thousand times, or more, as luminous as the [[Sun]].<ref name="exp_xray_univ">{{Cite book |last=Charles |first=Philip A. |title=Exploring the X-ray Universe |last2=Seward |first2=Frederick D. |date=1995 |publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-521-26182-1 |location=Cambridge |chapter=7}}</ref>

Temperatures of millions of degrees are produced so the hotspots emit mostly X-rays. As the neutron star rotates, pulses of X-rays are observed as the hotspots move in and out of view if the magnetic axis is tilted with respect to the spin axis.<ref name="exp_xray_univ" />