New light shed on pulsar puzzle

[Rick]

Astronomers have shed light on the mysterious origins of the fastest spinning stars known to science - millisecond pulsars.

Pulsars are dense, highly magnetised dead stars that emit radio waves along their magnetic poles.

These waves sweep around as the star rotates, a bit like lighthouse beams.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8062005.stm