Exploring the neutron star zoo: An observational review

TL;DR

This review summarizes the diverse observational properties of isolated neutron stars, including magnetars, anti-magnetars, pulsars, and X-ray dim neutron stars, highlighting sources with overlapping features that challenge classification.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive observational overview of various neutron star classes and discusses sources with hybrid characteristics, advancing understanding of neutron star diversity.

Findings

Identification of sources with mixed features

Highlighting the diversity of neutron star observational properties

Discussion of blurring boundaries between neutron star classes

Abstract

Neutron stars have shown diverse characteristics, leading us to classify them into different classes. In this proceeding, I review the observational properties of isolated neutron stars: from magnetars, the strongest magnets we know of, to central compact objects, the so-called anti-magnetars, stopping by the rotation-powered pulsars and X-ray dim isolated neutron stars. Finally, I highlight a few sources that have exhibited features straddling those of different groups, blurring the apparent diversity of the neutron star zoo.