Pulsar class · ~1–10 ms period
Millisecond Pulsar
An old pulsar spun up to hundreds of rotations per second by accreting matter from a companion star — 'recycled' to spin periods of only a few milliseconds. Their extraordinary rotational stability makes them the most precise clocks known and the basis of pulsar-timing arrays searching for low-frequency gravitational waves.
Highlights
- ›Recycled by accretion — the most precise clocks known
Classes, physics & objects
Across compact objects
Knowledge connections
- Associated withPulsar
- Associated withPulsar
- Associated withNeutron Star
- Associated withX-ray Pulsar
- Associated withPulsar Timing Array
- Associated withX-ray Pulsar
- Associated withPSR J0740+6620
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.