What causes the radio pulses of a pulsar?
A)A black hole near the neutron star absorbs energy and re- emits it as radio waves.
B)The neutron star undergoes periodic explosions of nuclear fusion that generate radio pulses.
C)As the neutron star spins, beams of radio radiation sweep through space. If one of the beams crosses the Earth, we observe a pulse.
D)The neutron star's orbiting companion periodically eclipses the radio waves that the neutron star emits.
E)The vibration of the neutron star

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pulsars are neutron stars that emit beams of radiation, including radio waves, as they spin rapidly. If one of these beams is pointed towards Earth, we observe a pulse of radio waves at regular intervals. This is the most widely accepted explanation for the radio pulses of a pulsar. Option A is incorrect because black holes do not emit radio waves, and even if they did, the energy required to emit the pulses would need to come from the neutron star, not the black hole. Option B is incorrect because pulsars do not undergo nuclear fusion. Option D is incorrect because an eclipsing companion would not cause periodic pulses. Option E is also incorrect because a neutron star's vibration is not strong enough to generate the observed regular pulses.

What Causes the Radio Pulses of a Pulsar