A
pulsar (short for
pulsating radio star) is a highly magnetized, rotating
neutron star that emits a beam of
electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be observed only when the beam of emission is pointing toward Earth, much the way a lighthouse can be seen only when the light is pointed in the direction of an observer, and is responsible for the pulsed appearance of emission. Neutron stars are very
dense, and have short, regular rotational
periods. This produces a very precise interval between pulses that range roughly from milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar. Pulsars are believed to be one of the candidates of high and ultra-high energy astroparticles (see also
Centrifugal mechanism of acceleration).