This book is an introduction to pulsars, a key area in high energy astrophysics with continuing potential for fundamental discoveries. Throughout the book runs the unifying thread of the evolutionary link between rotation-powered pulsars and accretion-powered pulsars — a milestone of modern astrophysics. Early textbooks on pulsars dealt almost entirely with rotation-powered ones, while accounts of pulsars in volumes on X-ray binaries focused almost exclusively on accretion-powered ones. This is the first textbook to treat these two kinds of pulsars simultaneously with equal importance, stressing the fact that both are rotating, magnetic neutron stars, operating under different conditions during different parts of their lives. It describes the observational properties of both kinds of pulsars, summarizes our physical understanding of these properties, and pays detailed attention to the physics of superdense matter which neutron stars are composed of, as well as to the superfluidity which is expected to occur in neutron stars. Evolution from rotation-power to accretion-power, and vice versa, are carefully described. The effects of the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars on themselves, their emission properties, and their environments are discussed, as are the origin and evolution of such magnetic fields. Also treated is the superbly accurate verification of Einstein's theory of general relativity through timing studies of binary pulsars, which led to the award of the Nobel Prize to Hulse and Taylor in 1993. On each topic, the book starts with simple, basic physical concepts, and builds up the exposition to the point where the latest and most exciting developments become accessible to the reader.

Contents:

• The Discovery of Pulsars
• Physics of Neutron Stars
• Origin and Evolution of Neutron Stars
• Properties of Rotation Powered Pulsars
• Superfluidity in Neutron Stars and Glitch Diagnostics
• Properties of Accretion Powered Pulsars
• Pulsar Magnetospheres
• Pulsar Emission Mechanisms
• Spin Evolution of Neutron Stars
• Neutron Star Magnetic Fields
• Strange Stars

"Neutron stars are implicated in some of the most fascinating phenomena in the universe. This comprehensive text is unique in its authoritative and clear coverage of what we have learnt about neutron stars in different cosmic environments from observations in all wavebands."

"Rotation and Accretion Powered Pulsars by Professor Pranab Ghosh is a masterpiece of erudition and pedagogy and can be recommended without hesitation to both beginners and specialists in this fascinating field of modern astrophysics."

“This book is an excellent and up to date basic reference source for all theoretical and observational aspects of neutron stars and will be very much welcomed by everyone working in high-energy astrophysics, stellar evolution and the studies of pulsars. For those teaching courses in these fields of astrophysics it also is highly recommended.”

“The book is written in a very readable style, with clear explanations of the subtleties of the various topics and occasional anecdotal notes on points of historical interest. It would be a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in the physics of compact stellar objects.”