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This activity asks students to analyze both the x-ray light curve from a pulsar in the crab nebula and the Fourier Transform of the light curve. From this students must find the period of the light intensity, determine the period of rotation of the object, and realize the object is a neutron star.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/astronomy/items/detail.cfm?ID=835">Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics. Timing an X-ray Pulsar. Greenbelt: Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, December 16, 2002.</a>
Timing an X-ray Pulsar (Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, Greenbelt), <https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html>.
Timing an X-ray Pulsar. (2002, December 16). Retrieved September 11, 2026, from Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html
Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics. Timing an X-ray Pulsar. Greenbelt: Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, December 16, 2002. https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html (accessed 11 September 2026).
Timing an X-ray Pulsar. Greenbelt: Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics. 16 Dec. 2002. 11 Sep. 2026 <https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html>.
@misc{
Title = {Timing an X-ray Pulsar},
Publisher = {Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics},
Volume = {2026},
Number = {11 September 2026},
Month = {December 16, 2002},
Year = {}
}
%T Timing an X-ray Pulsar %D December 16, 2002 %I Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics %C Greenbelt %U https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html %O text/html
%0 Electronic Source %D December 16, 2002 %T Timing an X-ray Pulsar %I Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics %V 2026 %N 11 September 2026 %8 December 16, 2002 %9 text/html %U https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/xray_pulsar.html
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