Pulsars and isolated neutron stars

Abstract

CONTENTS The Milky Way -- Pulsars and Isolated Neutron Stars / Introduction: Historical Overview / Physics and Astrophysics of Isolated Neutron Stars / Rotation-powered Pulsars: The Magnetic Braking Model / High-energy Emission Models / Magnetospheric Emission Models / Thermal Evolution of Neutron Stars / Photospheric Emission from Cooling Neutron Stars / The Current Picture of High-Energy Emission Properties of Isolated Neutron Stars / Young Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants / Crab-like Pulsars / Vela-like pulsars / Radio-silent Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants / Anomalous X-ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters / Thermal Emission from Middle-Aged Pulsars / Old Nearby Radio Pulsars / Isolated Radio-quiet Neutron Stars / Recycled Millisecond Pulsars / Impressive Achievements and Great Expectations / References