X-ray Pulsars: Beacons of High-Energy Light

X-ray pulsars are neutron stars that shine by pulling in matter from a companion star.
As the material falls, it heats to millions of degrees, releasing powerful X-rays.
Their magnetic fields funnel this infalling matter onto hotspots near the poles.
As the star spins, these hotspots sweep across space like cosmic lighthouses.
Unlike radio pulsars, their beams are brightest in high-energy X-rays.
They were first discovered in the 1970s with space-based X-ray observatories.
Some X-ray pulsars spin once every few seconds, while others rotate hundreds of times per second.
They can suddenly brighten when their companion star dumps extra material onto them.
Studying them reveals extreme physics of magnetism, gravity, and matter under pressure.
X-ray pulsars are among the brightest X-ray sources in the sky, guiding astronomers to hidden neutron stars.