Talk:Pulsar planet

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[edit] EM radiation

"Pulsar planets would be entirely incapable of supporting any form of life as we know it due to the colossal amounts of electromagnetic radiation emitted by pulsars." I think this line is poorly phrased: all radiation is electromagnetic radiation, including light, and pulsars put out a lot less total energy than, say, main-sequence stars. Perhaps the statements refers to very strong magnetic fields, or particles accelerated along those fields? --Keflavich 03:48, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

EM radiation isn't the only kind of radiation there is - the magnetically accelerated particles you're speaking of would be a good example of non-EM radiation. You are right, however, that the total energy output isn't the problem with pulsar planet habitability - it's the kinds of radiation emitted, such as x-rays and energetic subatomic particles, that are troublesome. Orcoteuthis (talk) 14:12, 9 January 2008 (UTC)