What is the difference between a pulsar and a magnetar?

Both pulsars and magnetars are types of neutron stars, which are incredibly dense remnants of supernova explosions. The main difference between pulsars and magnetars lies in their magnetic fields.

Pulsars are highly magnetized neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles, which are typically aligned with their rotation axis. As the pulsar rotates, these beams sweep across space like a cosmic lighthouse, producing a detectable signal that appears as a series of periodic pulses.

Magnetars, on the other hand, are neutron stars with even stronger magnetic fields than pulsars. They are believed to be formed when the magnetic field of a young neutron star becomes twisted and amplified, releasing a burst of energy in the form of X-rays and gamma rays. Unlike pulsars, magnetars are not known to emit periodic pulses of radiation. Instead, they can produce sporadic bursts of X-rays and gamma rays, which can be thousands of times more energetic than those emitted by pulsars.