A supernova remnant around a pulsar.A supernova remnant A supernova remnant (SNR) is the structure resulting from the gigantic explosion of a star in a supernova. The supernova remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, and consists of ejected material expanding from the explosion, and the interstellar material it sweeps up around a pulsar pulsar, in astronomy, a neutron star that emits brief, sharp pulses of energy instead of the steady radiation associated with other natural sources. The study of pulsars began when Antony Hewish and his students at Cambridge Univ. One of the things a supernova is supposed to produce is a pulsar. The core of the exploding star collapses, forming a neutron star, which, as it spins, produces the characteristic pulsed radiation. However, of the more than 300 known pulsars only two or three are known to be inside supernova remnants, the glowing nebulas of energized interstellar matter that remain after the supernova itself has died away. Astrophysicists An astrophysicist is a person who professionally studies and conducts research in astrophysics. Famous astrophysicists
Now they seem to have at least one more. France A. Cordova Cordova, Spain: see Córdoba. and John Middleditch of Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratory, Robert M. Hjellming of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), federal observatory for radio astronomy, founded in 1956 and operated under contract with the National Science Foundation by Associated Universities, Inc., a group of major universities. in Socorro, N.M., and K.O. Mason of the Mullard Space Science Laboratories in Manchester, England, report that PSR PSR Pulsar PSR Poster PSR Physicians for Social Responsibility PSR Psychosocial Rehabilitation PSR Pacific School of Religion PSR Policy and Survey Research PSR Project Study Report PSR Pre-Sentence Report PSR Pressure-State-Response PSR Puget Sound Region 0656 14 emits X-rays with a very "soft' spectrum, possibly pulsed ones. The softness (low frequency) of the X-rays argues for the nearness of the pulsar, and a recent measurement of the rate of change of its pulse period argues for relative youth (about 100,000 years old). Together these data suggest that a diffuse X-ray flux in the neighborhood, known as the "Gemini-Monoceros soft X-ray enhancement,' could be a supernova remnant of the explosion of PSR 0656 14. The data are on International Astronomical Circular 4490. |
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