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An X-ray pulsar is a pulsar (rotating neutron star that produces EMR pulses at a precise rate) that produces X-ray pulses. This is attributed to an exceptionally strong magnetic field, along with accretion of matter from a binary companion (giant stars are the most likely to yield to such mass transfer). The pulses are produced by a misalignment between the pulsar's rotation and its magnetic poles: the accreted material is channeled to a circular-moving magnetic pole (attached to the pulsar), and shock heating produces X-rays directed along the axis of the magnetic poles. Like other pulsars, the pulse is from a beam of EMR (X-rays, in this case) that is oscillating in direction, effectively drawing a circle on the celestial sphere, and we view its pulses if the beam briefly shines on Earth in the course of its oscillation.