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Neutron Stars - The Blogs Of Science

The Blogs Of Science

Introduction

Hi there! Evan here, The writer of TBoS blogs, today you’re going to be reading about Neutron Stars, these are very unusual objects present in space, Want to know more? Continue Reading!

What are Neutron Stars?

Neutron stars are the very, VERY dense remnants of stars with about the mass of 8 Suns or 8 Solar Masses. When a star explodes in the spectacular event of a supernova, most layers of the star are dispersed into space, the core which remains is called a neutron star made up of highly exotic matter with only neutrons which bond due to very intense gravity both inside and surrounding the star. Neutron stars are only a few kilometres wide but have the mass of several solar masses. Both Pulsars and Neutron stars have very unstable but potent electromagnetic fields but the main difference is Pulsars spin while Neutron stars don’t as much. The surface of a neutron star can reach about 1,000,000 degrees Celsius compared to our Sun’s measly 6,000 degrees Celsius. Moreover, a highly destructive and strange celestial body.

How are they formed?

All stars are born and eventually die too, the process by which they die differs while the process by which they’re born is the mostly the same. Today, the process of death is more important. Small and Medium sized stars slowly but steadily deplete their fuel of Hydrogen and Helium over long periods of time fusing these elements in heavier elements and when their supply ends, they turn into White Dwarfs, while Large sized stars, use up their fuel much quicker and turn it into heavier elements too, when they have no fuel left, their own gravity is so great that it overcomes the nuclear fusion occurring in the star and explodes in a supernova, while the core left is called Neutron star, all matter in the core is compressed so tightly that protons and electrons fuse into neutrons and all those neutrons are compressed into nuclei. All of this causes the temperature to increase significantly, think about it this way - Take a million Earths and cram that into about 20-30 kilometres wide, it is so dense that a sugar cube sized block of neutron star matter weighs equivalent to Mt. Everest.

How are they found?

As they are quite bright and also very small, scientists are able to confirm bright objects in the sky that are tiny as Neutron Stars. A Neutron star’s gravity is also so intense that it can bend light thus we are able to see its front and also some parts of its back in a single moment, neutron stars also distort the disk of light around them and are the only bright objects other than pulsars and quasars which can do this.

**Summary

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Moreover, Neutron stars are extremely dense, bright and hot objects with very powerful gravity in space. These are the second type of remnants, a very large star can leave. Thus, very dangerous and absurd objects, indeed.

Here’s a computer rendered image of one! 

The blue bands make the electromagnetic field and the bluish orb is the neutron star. (Pulsars rotate, Neutron Stars don’t).

Stay Tuned for more and Stay Safe!

[theblogsofscience-blog]

Pulsars - The Blogs Of Science

The Blogs Of Science

Introduction

Hi there! Evan here, The writer of TBoS blogs, today you’re going to be reading about Pulsars, these are fascinating objects in space, continue reading to know more!

What are Pulsars?

Pulsars are neutron stars rotating at mind-boggling speeds, ranging from 7 to 40 thousand rotations in a MINUTE. Due to these incredible speeds of rotation, very powerful and unstable electromagnetic fields are produced which emerge from the poles of it, this is not the only things that are coming out of its poles though, there are massive amounts of radiation and rays spewing out of here too, including gamma rays, which can literally disintegrate object because of its high energy. Moreover, a Pulsar is an extremely dangerous variant of neutron stars.

How are they formed?

When stars which are extremely large, more than 8 solar masses heavy, explode in an amazing show of fireworks known as a Supernova, it can either change into a Neutron star or a Black hole depending on its mass, if it turns into a Neutron star and if the Neutron star has a extremely fast rotational speed, it can be classified as a pulsar as a fast rotational forms strong electromagnetic fields and in turn changes the neutron star into a Pulsar.

How do we find them?

These pulsars shine very brightly and their poles appear to pulsate from where radiation is being shot into space is bright thus when pulsars spins, it gives the impression of a light blinking to the viewer, like a lighthouse.

The first Pulsar we ever found was discovered by Jocelyn Bell in 1967, at the time no one had any idea what the radio pulses meant (Pulsars give out all kinds of radiation, remember, radio, gamma, microwave, everything,) which they detected, it was name "LGM" standing for "Little Green Men" signalling towards Extra-terrestrial life, soon after Thomas Gold showed that only a spinning neutron star could create such signals.

Summary

Moreover, Pulsars are fast rotating neutron stars shooting out all kinds of radiation from their poles due to strong, VERY strong electromagnetic fields. Thus, beautiful, bright pulsating objects against the unending black canvas of space. Here’s a computer rendition (Rendered by a computer, not a real picture) by NASA! 

The white orb is the neutron star, the blue bands make up the electromagnetic field (We can’t see radiation, remember, just a computer made image) and the purplish particles are the representation of radiation coming out.

Stay tuned for more posts and stay safe!