image: This show the extreme PSR J1311-3430 system: the first millisecond pulsar solely discovered by its lighthouse-like gamma-ray emission (magenta). The record-breaking pulsar system is so compact that it would fit entirely inside our Sun. This schematic shows the Sun, the companion's orbit, and the companion at its maximum possible size to scale. The pulsar has been greatly enlarged. Its gamma-radiation is evaporating the companion. This may eventually fully destroy the companion, leaving behind the isolated, fast spinning pulsar. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 25, 2012, issue of Science Express, published by AAAS. The paper, by Holger Pletsch at Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) in Hannover, Germany, and colleagues was titled, “Binary Millisecond Pulsar Discovery via Gamma-Ray Pulsations." view more
Credit: [Image courtesy of SDO/AIA (Sun), AEI]