An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A dense zone of magnetized → plasma surrounding a → pulsar. The magnetosphere, lying between the surface of the → neutron star and the → light cylinder,
corotates with the pulsar like a rigid body under the effect of strong magnetic field. The magnetosphere’s thickness is determined by the constraint that the corotation velocity of its upper surface should not exceed the → speed of light.

See also: → pilsar; → magnetosphere.