Pulsars demonstrate the existence of neutron stars because there is no other plausible mechanism to explain them, especially in terms of their brightness curves, which are extremely regular and gradually slowing down. Only an object as small and rigid as a neutron star is capable of rotating as a solid body at such speeds.

Although neutron stars were first predicted in the 1930s, the full implications of their rapid rotation (most notably the intense magnetic field and axial jets) were not considered until the 1960s, only a few months before the first pulsar was discovered. The jets from most neutron stars will not be aimed at the earth, so we won't see them as pulsars, and the jets gradually fade as the stars' rotation rates decrease, so many neutron stars go undiscovered unless they're still associated with a detectable supernova remnant. In 1997, the Hubble Space Telescope observed an isolated neutron star in visible light for the first time, confirming its status as a neutron star by determining its temperature (about 1,200,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 670,000 degrees Kelvin) and diameter (a maximum of 16.8 miles or 27 km).
Source(s):
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577179/neutron_star.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_star#History_of_discoveries
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1997/32/text/

Asker's Rating:

Permalink | Report