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An artist's conception of an X-ray pulsar in a binary star system: Matter from a companion star, most likely a Red Giant, channels onto a rapidly spinning neutron star at its magnetic poles. Strong magnetic fields run in loops from pole to pole. Radiation in the form of X-rays appears to pulse on and off as hot patches of gas are exposed at the poles with the neutron star's rotation. (The axis of rotation is different from the axis of the magnetic field.) The neutron star -- more massive than the Sun yet with a diameter of only 10-15 km -- is extremely dense. Its strong gravitational force accelerates infalling matter to high energies.
Art Credit: Maggie Masetti, NASA
