Ars
Technica: A new type of anomalous neutron star that shows
characteristics of both traditional radio pulsars and nonpulsar
neutron stars has been detected. The majority of neutron stars
are pulsars, whose strong magnetic fields and fast rotation
combine to produce pulses of radiation. Anomalous neutron stars
rarely emit light in radio frequencies. Some of the
slower-rotating stars have atmospheres, as evidenced by
absorption lines in other parts of their spectra. PSR
J1740+1000 is the first known radio pulsar that also displays
absorption, but because of its fast rotation it can't retain an
atmosphere that could account for the lines. Instead, a team of
astronomers led by Oleg Kargaltsev suggest that the star may
have a particle-filled region in its magnetosphere that
resembles Earth's Van Allen radiation belts.
