millisecond pulsar

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 584 words | Copyright

millisecond pulsar A pulsar that flashes every few thousandths of a second, i.e. with a period of 1–10 ms. The first to be discovered, PSR 1937+21, has a period of 1.56 ms. Even faster is a pulsar called PSR J1748‐2446ad, in the globular cluster Terzan 5, which has a period of 1.40 ms, very close to the theoretical minimum for a spinning neutron star. Over 130 millisecond pulsars have been discovered, many of them in globular clusters. Millisecond pulsars are extremely stable rotators and keep time better than atomic clocks. See also Recycled Pulsar.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"millisecond pulsar." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"millisecond pulsar." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-millisecondpulsar.html

"millisecond pulsar." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-millisecondpulsar.html

Learn more about citation styles