Jocelyn Bell Burnell and The Discovery of Pulsars: reviewing researches of Physics and Astronomy Teaching in a Historical Perspective

Abstract

The detection of neutron stars is one of the most unique scientific events in the field of Astronomy. This discovery, led by astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell, enabled the identification of the first signs that would later be recognized as pulsars, which allows a better understanding of the process of evolution of the stars. However, there is a lack of knowledge by teachers and students about the process of stellar evolution. In this article, we developed a bibliographic research in order to investigate how the history of discovery of pulsars and the performance of Jocelyn Bell Burnell in this episode is manifested in research published in the last decades in the field of Physics and Astronomy Teaching, as well as academic research in these areas. It was selected 35 researches, among papers published in journals and events, in addition to dissertations and theses. The development of the analysis was based on primary and secondary sources that deal with historical elements about the discovery of pulsars. It was observed that specific works carry out a historical discussion about these celestial objects, mainly academic productions in the field of Physics and Astronomy, while research in the field of teaching concentrates discussions in a conceptual scope. Also, this episode presents potential for studies about the nature of science and about the visibility of women in science.

Keywords

• pulsares
• estrelas de nêutrons
• jocelyn bell burnell
• história da física e da astronomia