Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of massive supergiant stars. When these colossal stars exhaust their nuclear fuel, they explode in a spectacular supernova. The intense gravitational forces squeeze the core, resulting in an ultradense object—a neutron star. Imagine packing the mass of our Sun into a sphere just about 10 kilometers (6 miles) in radius! These stellar remnants are incredibly dense and compact.
Key Characteristics
1. Mass and Size:
Neutron stars typically have a mass around 1.4 times that of our Sun (1.4 solar masses).
Their radius is minuscule—only about 10 kilometers across.
2. Formation:
Neutron stars form during a supernova explosion when a massive star collapses.
Gravitational collapse compresses the core beyond white dwarf density, creating a neutron-rich environment.
3. Cooling Down:
Initially, newly formed neutron stars can have surface temperatures exceeding ten million degrees Kelvin.
Over time, they cool down inexorably, reaching around one million degrees Kelvin within thousands to millions of years.
4. Mind-Boggling Density:
A matchbox-sized chunk of neutron star material would weigh approximately 3 billion tonnes!
That's equivalent to a 0.5-cubic-kilometer chunk of Earth's surface.
5. Rotation:
As a star's core collapses, its rotation rate increases due to conservation of angular momentum.
Neutron stars can rotate hundreds of times per second.
Beyond Neutron Degeneracy Pressure
Neutron degeneracy pressure supports neutron stars against further collapse.
For more massive neutron stars, repulsive nuclear forces also play a crucial role.
Remember, neutron stars are cosmic marvels—tiny yet incredibly powerful remnants of stellar evolution.
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