ΓÇ£searchlightΓÇ¥ sweeping through the universe. Astronomers believe the beams come from the pulsarΓÇÖs two poles, where the enormously strong magnetic fields thought to exist on neutron stars accelerate the pulsarΓÇÖs charged particles to nearly the speed of light, creating synchrotron radia- tion. If the pulsarΓÇÖs narrow beam happens to strike Earth, it is experi- enced as a ΓÇ£pulseΓÇ¥ of radio waves, not unlike a swiftly moving beam of light from a lighthouse sweeping across oneΓÇÖs vision. The pulsarΓÇÖs strong magnetic fields also cause charged particles in the nebula to move at speeds near that of light. As a result, the nebula emits its own synchrotron radiation. The enhanced radio emission from the filaments is probably caused by the filamentsΓÇÖ own magnetic fields.
