Home » Surprising Discovery of the Internal Structure of Neutron Stars | TechNews Technology Newspaper

Surprising Discovery of the Internal Structure of Neutron Stars | TechNews Technology Newspaper

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Surprising Discovery of the Internal Structure of Neutron Stars | TechNews Technology Newspaper

In order to understand the unexplainable properties of neutron stars, physicists simulated more than 1 million equations of state. After a large number of model calculations, physicists at the University of Frankfurt concluded that the structure of neutron stars is that according to different masses, the core can be very hard or very soft. .

A neutron star is an extremely dense celestial body, the product of the death of a massive star. Its mass is equivalent to or even larger than that of the sun, but it is miraculously compressed into a sphere with a diameter comparable to that of a large city. Scientists have been trying to decipher the structure since their discovery more than 60 years ago, but neutron star structures are still poorly understood. Due to its extreme characteristics, neutron stars cannot be reproduced in earth laboratories, and the extreme conditions of neutron stars can only be simulated through model calculations, which is also the biggest challenge. This time, with the help of the equation of state, various characteristics such as density and temperature were described, and the structure of the neutron star from the surface to the core was tried to be reconstructed. The team simulated more than 1 million equations of state, which not only satisfied the theoretical nuclear physics constraints, but also satisfied the results of astronomical observations.

When evaluating the equation of state, the team made the surprising discovery that “light” neutron stars (less than 1.7 solar masses) appear to have soft mantles and hard cores, while “heavy” neutron stars (about 1.7 solar masses) have hard mantles and soft core. The result is a direct measure of how compressible the center of a neutron star is, such as a praline, a light mass like a hazelnut with a hazelnut in the center surrounded by soft chocolate, and a heavier mass like a hard layer of chocolate with a soft filling. The key to detection is the speed of sound. The speed at which sound waves propagate through objects depends on the hardness of the material. The speed of sound on the earth can also explore the interior and discover oil deposits.

Modeling the equation of state, physicists also discovered previously unexplained properties of neutron stars, such as a likely radius of only 12 kilometers, regardless of mass. The researchers said that extensive numerical research can not only predict the radius and maximum mass of neutron stars, but also set new limits on the deformation capability of binary star systems, that is, through the degree of mutual distortion of the gravitational field, it is particularly important to determine the unknown equation of state for astronomical observations and the detection of merging stellar gravity waves. The research results will be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

(This article is reproduced with the authorization of Taipei Planetarium; Source of the first image: P. Kiefer / L. Rezzolla / University of Frankfurt)

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