A neutron star will be detected from Earth as a pulsar by its regular radio pulses ONLY if Earth lies
A) in the plane of the neutron star's magnetic equator,halfway between its magnetic poles.
B) almost directly in line with the magnetic axis of the neutron star at some time during the star's rotation.
C) directly above the rotation axis of the rotating neutron star.
D) in the neutron star's "equator," the plane perpendicular to its spin axis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pulsars are neutron stars that emit regular radio pulses due to their strong magnetic fields. For Earth to detect these pulses, it needs to be in the line of sight of the pulsar's magnetic axis. This means that if Earth is almost directly in line with the magnetic axis of the neutron star at some time during the star's rotation, it will detect the pulsar. Option B is the only choice that describes this scenario.

A Neutron Star Will Be Detected from Earth as a Pulsar