Black widow system, illustration. This is the black widow system PSR J1311-3430. Black widow systems consist of a pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star, orbited by a companion star, in this case a brown dwarf. Beams of gamma and radio radiation are emitted along the magnetic axis of the pulsar. When the radiation hits the companion it heats it, evaporating some of the companions surface. The name black widow is applied because eventually the companion will be destroyed by the pulsar.