Atoms As Big As Mountains — Neutron Stars Explained

Summary

Neutron stars are incredibly dense and extreme objects in the universe, created when massive stars collapse after their fusion reactions cease. With a mass between 1 and 3 times that of the Sun, but compressed to just 25 kilometers in diameter, they exhibit extreme gravity and density. Neutron stars are made of densely packed neutrons and have mysterious, possibly superfluid cores. They can rotate rapidly, emitting strong radio signals as pulsars, and possess magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than Earth's. These fascinating objects are some of the most extreme yet captivating phenomena in the cosmos.

Takeaways

• 😀 Neutron stars are incredibly dense and violent objects in the universe, with diameters of only a few kilometers.
• 😀 A star’s life is governed by the balance between its gravity and radiation pressure from fusion reactions.
• 😀 When a star's core runs out of hydrogen, it starts fusing heavier elements like helium, carbon, oxygen, and silicon.
• 😀 When a star’s core mass exceeds about 1.4 solar masses, a catastrophic collapse occurs, leading to a supernova explosion.
• 😀 The collapse of the star results in the creation of a neutron star, a highly compressed object between 1 and 3 times the mass of the Sun.
• 😀 Neutron stars are so dense that just one cubic centimeter can contain the mass of a 700-meter-wide iron cube, roughly 1 billion tons.
• 😀 Neutron star gravity is incredibly strong, causing objects to fall at 7.2 million km/h when dropped just 1 meter above the surface.
• 😀 The surface of a neutron star is flat, with irregularities measuring only about 5 millimeters, and its temperature is around 1 million Kelvin.
• 😀 The internal structure of a neutron star consists of an iron lattice in the crust, transitioning to a soup of neutrons in the core.
• 😀 The core of a neutron star may consist of superfluid neutron degenerate matter or quark-gluon plasma, which is difficult to comprehend in traditional terms.
• 😀 Neutron stars, particularly pulsars, can spin incredibly fast, up to several hundred times per second, and emit powerful radio signals.
• 😀 The magnetic field of a neutron star is about 8 trillion times stronger than Earth's, distorting the atoms that enter its influence.

Q & A

What is a neutron star?

A neutron star is an extremely dense and compact remnant of a star that has undergone a supernova explosion. It has a mass between 1 and 3 solar masses, but is compressed to an object only about 25 kilometers in diameter.

How does a neutron star form?

A neutron star forms when a massive star's core collapses after its fusion reactions stop. The star's core mass exceeds about 1.4 solar masses, causing the outer layers to explode in a supernova, leaving behind the dense neutron star.

What happens inside the core of a massive star before it becomes a neutron star?

Inside the core of a massive star, elements undergo fusion starting with hydrogen turning into helium, then progressing through heavier elements like carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon. Eventually, iron is formed, but it cannot fuse further, causing the fusion reaction to stop and the core to collapse.

What are the properties of the surface of a neutron star?

The surface of a neutron star is extremely flat, with irregularities no greater than 5 millimeters. It has a superthin atmosphere made of hot plasma and a surface temperature of about 1 million kelvin.

What is the density of a neutron star like?

Neutron stars are incredibly dense. One cubic centimeter of neutron star material has the same mass as a 700-meter-wide iron cube, which equals about 1 billion tons, or the mass of Mount Everest, compressed into the size of a sugar cube.

How fast do neutron stars spin?

Neutron stars can spin incredibly fast, with some young ones spinning several times per second. If the star is pulling matter from a nearby companion star, it can spin up to several hundred times per second.

What is a pulsar?

A pulsar is a type of neutron star that emits strong radio signals. These signals are due to the rapid rotation of the neutron star, which causes it to emit electromagnetic radiation in pulses.

How strong is the magnetic field of a neutron star?

The magnetic field of a neutron star is about 8 trillion times stronger than Earth's magnetic field. This intense field can bend atoms when they enter its influence.

What happens when a neutron star's gravity affects an object nearby?

If an object were dropped near the surface of a neutron star, it would accelerate to extremely high speeds (up to 7.2 million km/h) and hit the surface in just one microsecond due to the star's incredibly strong gravity.

What is the composition of a neutron star's crust?

The crust of a neutron star is believed to be made of an iron atom nuclei lattice with a sea of electrons flowing through them. The density of the material increases as you move toward the core, where neutrons dominate.