All that comes from Maxwell's laws (which eventually derive from Special Relativity).  A moving magnetic field creates a stationary electric field.  A moving electricc field creates a stationary magnetic field, etc.  

If we start with the premise that the neutron star is a spinning magnet then the moving magnetic field creates a stationary electric field aligned with the spin axis of the star.  Any charged particle within that electric field will be accelerated along the electric field lines.  Charged particles that move through a magnetic field are acclerated at right angles to the that field.  That translates to circular motion around the magnetic field lines.  So the combination of the electric field accellerating those particles linearly outward, and the magnetic field accellerating them circularly around the field lines, casues the particles to move in a tight spiral outwards.

Each such charged particle has it's own electric field which is being accelerated both linearly and circularly.  This creates a circularly rotating magnetic field at right angles, which ceates a circularly rotation electric field, which creates a circularly rotation magnetic field -- or, to say this differently, an electromagnetic wave. The propogation of an electromagnetic wave is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wave, and is therefore outward along the magnetic field lines of the star.

I think I got that all right.  ;-)

From: Giszmo at 08/22 13:57

> This was a fascinating read start to finish! Inspiring to read more.
> 
> The part where the rotating magnet induces a current that emits EM waves in the direction of the poles is not clear. Is that because those particles are trapped to the magnetic field lines that themselves wobble around the axis of the rotation?

CC: unclebobmartin 

 Each of these details makes sense. I studied physics after all 😅 But it's still not intuitively clear. I guess I need to get an intuition for synchrotron radiation.

I asked Chat-GPT about the beam's focus and tend to doubt it's correct with this example:

https://i.nostr.build/9MKHMV2m0a2moa5h.png 

 I think it's just two right angle rotations that cancel each other out.  The first is the ciculation of the charged particles at right angles to the magnetic field.  The second is the right angle propogation of the electromagnetic waves induced by those circulating particles.  


From: Giszmo at 08/23 11:36

> Each of these details makes sense. I studied physics after all 😅 But it's still not intuitively clear. I guess I need to get an intuition for synchrotron radiation.
> 
> I asked Chat-GPT about the beam's focus and tend to doubt it's correct with this example:
> 
> https://i.nostr.build/9MKHMV2m0a2moa5h.png

CC: unclebobmartin