Neutron stars are formed from the core collapse of massive stars, and as with GRBs can be a source of heavy nuclei. In models with neutron stars - specifically young pulsars or magnetars - as the source of extragalactic cosmic rays, heavy elements (mainly iron) are stripped from the surface of the object by the electric field created by the magnetized neutron star's rapid rotation. This same electric field can accelerate iron nucleii up to 10 eV. The photodisintegration of the heavy nucleii would produce lighter elements with lower energies, matching the observations of the Pierre Auger Observatory. In this scenario, the cosmic rays accelerated by neutron stars within the Milky Way could fill in the 'transition region' between Galactic cosmic rays produced in supernova remnants, and extragalactic cosmic rays.