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Pulsar Cool Fact - Introduction

Pulsars

Pulsars spin fast for the same reason ice skaters pull in their arms to spin. This is conservation of angular momentum. Pulsars are formed with a certain amount of angular momentum. As gravity causes them to shrink (and thus have a smaller radius) they must spin faster in order to conserve angular momentum.




 

A service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Andy Ptak (Director), within the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/GSFC

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