Lecturer: Prof. Victoria Kaspi Affiliation: McGill University Abstract: The last decade has shown us that the observational properties of neutron stars are remarkably diverse. From conventional radio pulsars like that in the Crab nebula to the powerful "magnetars" that emit sudden bursts of X-rays and gamma-rays, from the so-called Isolated Neutron Stars to Central Compact Objects, observational manifestations of neutron stars are surprisingly varied, with most properties totally unpredicted. The challenge is to establish an overarching physical theory of neutron stars and their birth properties that can explain this great diversity. Here I survey the disparate neutron stars classes, describe their properties, and highlight recent results. I describe the current status of efforts at physical "grand unification" of this wealth of observational phenomena, and show that neutron star magnetic field strength must play a key role. Additional details of the upcoming Astrophysics' seminars can be found on the following link. ‏האירוע הזה כולל שיחת וידאו ב-Google Hangouts. הצטרף: https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/mail.huji.ac.il/astrophysics?hceid=bWFpbC5odWppLmFjLmlsX2c0czhydDlpcmhwZzRvdGNybWIzZGFqcjdvQGdyb3VwLmNhbGVuZGFyLmdvb2dsZS5jb20.7tgl4cbqssn4qdiincui1sil04&hs=121