Computer calculations and simulations found that materials inside neutrons stars are the strongest known material in the universe. The neutron star material is ten billion times stronger than steel.
Neutron stars are born after supernovas, an implosion that compresses an object the size of the sun to about the size of Montreal, making them “a hundred trillion times denser than anything on earth.” Their immense gravity makes their outer layers freeze solid, making them similar to earth with a thin crust enveloping a liquid core.
This will help provide better understand gravitational waves like those detected last year when two neutron stars collided. The new results even suggest that lone neutron stars might generate small gravitational waves.
With this result, many problems need to be revisited. How large a mountain can you build on a neutron star before the crust breaks and it collapses? What will it look like? And most importantly, how can astronomers observe it?”
The elastic properties of neutron star crusts are relevant for a variety of currently observable or near-future electromagnetic and gravitational wave phenomena. These phenomena may depend on the elastic properties of nuclear pasta found in the inner crust. We present large-scale classical molecular dynamics simulations where we deform nuclear pasta. We simulate idealized samples of nuclear pasta and describe their breaking mechanism. We also deform nuclear pasta that is arranged into many domains, similar to what is known for the ions in neutron star crusts. Our results show that nuclear pasta may be the strongest known material, perhaps with a shear modulus of 1030ergs per cubic centimeter and breaking strain greater than 0.1.
Arxiv – The Elasticity of Nuclear Pasta
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True – but it’s also a zillion times denser (as the article points out). If there were any carbon in those stars, there’d be some magnificent diamonds……
I read about this a few days ago. Basically they found that yes a neutron star can have ‘mountains’ many centimeters tall and that means we should be able to detect gravitation waves created by them spinning very fast.
True – but it’s also a zillion times denser (as the article points out). If there were any carbon in those stars there’d be some magnificent diamonds……
I read about this a few days ago. Basically they found that yes a neutron star can have ‘mountains’ many centimeters tall and that means we should be able to detect gravitation waves created by them spinning very fast.
How can it be strong if it only exists under degeneracy pressure? If it were possible to isolate it from the star, the sample would explode – it has negative strength.
How can it be strong if it only exists under degeneracy pressure? If it were possible to isolate it from the star the sample would explode – it has negative strength.
AFAIK those mountains are rather in the millimetre range
No molecules can exist on a neutron star. No protons or electrons.
AFAIK those mountains are rather in the millimetre range
Whats a few orders of magnitude between friends?
Engineer Cliff-Web of the Cheela might know.
That was my reaction? How can anything be described as having a tensile strength if it only exists if it’s under compression? Now, that doesn’t mean it can’t have compressive strength, or be stiff, or incompressible, or what have you. It just can’t have tensile strength.
No molecules can exist on a neutron star. No protons or electrons.
Whats a few orders of magnitude between friends?
Engineer Cliff-Web of the Cheela might know.
That was my reaction? How can anything be described as having a tensile strength if it only exists if it’s under compression?Now that doesn’t mean it can’t have compressive strength or be stiff or incompressible or what have you. It just can’t have tensile strength.
Question for those who might know: if a neutron star were to pas through or near a large cloud of hydrogen gas, might its gravity be sufficient to confine the gas a restart the fusion-fission process to become something like a red dwarf again?
Question for those who might know: if a neutron star were to pas through or near a large cloud of hydrogen gas might its gravity be sufficient to confine the gas a restart the fusion-fission process to become something like a red dwarf again?
Google for “neutron star accretion”.
It can still get stretched relative to the compressed state. Imagine doing a tensile test in a high pressure chamber. Intuitively, the tensile load should be equivalent to reducing pressure along one axis. But there could be all sorts of interactions in the compressed material, that would cause the behavior to deviate from what you’d expect intuitively. Under high pressure, materials often change phase, and the different phase behaves differently than the unpressurized material. That’s also the case with a neutron star, where the material degenerates, and the strong nuclear force probably has some significant effect. I didn’t read the paper in detail, but a quick scan suggests they looked at tensile and shear loads with the neutron star pressure still in place. If you removed the pressure, the results would be very different.
That was probably the previous estimate, before this material strength study.
Google for eutron star accretion””.”””
It can still get stretched relative to the compressed state. Imagine doing a tensile test in a high pressure chamber. Intuitively the tensile load should be equivalent to reducing pressure along one axis. But there could be all sorts of interactions in the compressed material that would cause the behavior to deviate from what you’d expect intuitively. Under high pressure materials often change phase and the different phase behaves differently than the unpressurized material. That’s also the case with a neutron star where the material degenerates and the strong nuclear force probably has some significant effect.I didn’t read the paper in detail but a quick scan suggests they looked at tensile and shear loads with the neutron star pressure still in place. If you removed the pressure the results would be very different.
That was probably the previous estimate before this material strength study.
I read a book once in which neutron stars were teleported into the center of gas giants in order to create short-lived (i.e. a few million years) stars.
I read a book once in which neutron stars were teleported into the center of gas giants in order to create short-lived (i.e. a few million years) stars.
Can we just agree to call it “Neutronium”, instead of “nuclear pasta”? Please.
Can we just agree to call it Neutronium”””” instead of “”””nuclear pasta””””? Please.”””
Pasta? Some of those latter structures look a lot more like swiss cheese to me
Yes, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
Pasta? Some of those latter structures look a lot more like swiss cheese to me
Yes don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
Yeah, it can happen. Hydrogen accumulates on the surface until there’s enough, fuses, then it accumulates again. Not a steady state process, more like a flashbulb going off periodically.
Yeah it can happen. Hydrogen accumulates on the surface until there’s enough fuses then it accumulates again. Not a steady state process more like a flashbulb going off periodically.
The one called “Defects” is sad.
The one called Defects”” is sad.”””
The one called “Defects” is sad.
The one called Defects”” is sad.”””
Yeah, it can happen. Hydrogen accumulates on the surface until there’s enough, fuses, then it accumulates again. Not a steady state process, more like a flashbulb going off periodically.
Yeah it can happen. Hydrogen accumulates on the surface until there’s enough fuses then it accumulates again. Not a steady state process more like a flashbulb going off periodically.
The one called “Defects” is sad.
Yeah, it can happen. Hydrogen accumulates on the surface until there’s enough, fuses, then it accumulates again. Not a steady state process, more like a flashbulb going off periodically.
Pasta? Some of those latter structures look a lot more like swiss cheese to me
Pasta? Some of those latter structures look a lot more like swiss cheese to me
Yes, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
Yes don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
Can we just agree to call it “Neutronium”, instead of “nuclear pasta”? Please.
Can we just agree to call it Neutronium”””” instead of “”””nuclear pasta””””? Please.”””
Pasta? Some of those latter structures look a lot more like swiss cheese to me
Yes, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
Can we just agree to call it “Neutronium”, instead of “nuclear pasta”? Please.
I read a book once in which neutron stars were teleported into the center of gas giants in order to create short-lived (i.e. a few million years) stars.
I read a book once in which neutron stars were teleported into the center of gas giants in order to create short-lived (i.e. a few million years) stars.
Google for “neutron star accretion”.
Google for eutron star accretion””.”””
It can still get stretched relative to the compressed state. Imagine doing a tensile test in a high pressure chamber. Intuitively, the tensile load should be equivalent to reducing pressure along one axis. But there could be all sorts of interactions in the compressed material, that would cause the behavior to deviate from what you’d expect intuitively. Under high pressure, materials often change phase, and the different phase behaves differently than the unpressurized material. That’s also the case with a neutron star, where the material degenerates, and the strong nuclear force probably has some significant effect. I didn’t read the paper in detail, but a quick scan suggests they looked at tensile and shear loads with the neutron star pressure still in place. If you removed the pressure, the results would be very different.
It can still get stretched relative to the compressed state. Imagine doing a tensile test in a high pressure chamber. Intuitively the tensile load should be equivalent to reducing pressure along one axis. But there could be all sorts of interactions in the compressed material that would cause the behavior to deviate from what you’d expect intuitively. Under high pressure materials often change phase and the different phase behaves differently than the unpressurized material. That’s also the case with a neutron star where the material degenerates and the strong nuclear force probably has some significant effect.I didn’t read the paper in detail but a quick scan suggests they looked at tensile and shear loads with the neutron star pressure still in place. If you removed the pressure the results would be very different.
That was probably the previous estimate, before this material strength study.
That was probably the previous estimate before this material strength study.
Question for those who might know: if a neutron star were to pas through or near a large cloud of hydrogen gas, might its gravity be sufficient to confine the gas a restart the fusion-fission process to become something like a red dwarf again?
Question for those who might know: if a neutron star were to pas through or near a large cloud of hydrogen gas might its gravity be sufficient to confine the gas a restart the fusion-fission process to become something like a red dwarf again?
Whats a few orders of magnitude between friends?
Whats a few orders of magnitude between friends?
I read a book once in which neutron stars were teleported into the center of gas giants in order to create short-lived (i.e. a few million years) stars.
Engineer Cliff-Web of the Cheela might know.
Engineer Cliff-Web of the Cheela might know.
That was my reaction? How can anything be described as having a tensile strength if it only exists if it’s under compression? Now, that doesn’t mean it can’t have compressive strength, or be stiff, or incompressible, or what have you. It just can’t have tensile strength.
That was my reaction? How can anything be described as having a tensile strength if it only exists if it’s under compression?Now that doesn’t mean it can’t have compressive strength or be stiff or incompressible or what have you. It just can’t have tensile strength.
No molecules can exist on a neutron star. No protons or electrons.
No molecules can exist on a neutron star. No protons or electrons.
AFAIK those mountains are rather in the millimetre range
AFAIK those mountains are rather in the millimetre range
Google for “neutron star accretion”.
It can still get stretched relative to the compressed state. Imagine doing a tensile test in a high pressure chamber. Intuitively, the tensile load should be equivalent to reducing pressure along one axis. But there could be all sorts of interactions in the compressed material, that would cause the behavior to deviate from what you’d expect intuitively. Under high pressure, materials often change phase, and the different phase behaves differently than the unpressurized material. That’s also the case with a neutron star, where the material degenerates, and the strong nuclear force probably has some significant effect.
I didn’t read the paper in detail, but a quick scan suggests they looked at tensile and shear loads with the neutron star pressure still in place. If you removed the pressure, the results would be very different.
That was probably the previous estimate, before this material strength study.
How can it be strong if it only exists under degeneracy pressure? If it were possible to isolate it from the star, the sample would explode – it has negative strength.
How can it be strong if it only exists under degeneracy pressure? If it were possible to isolate it from the star the sample would explode – it has negative strength.
True – but it’s also a zillion times denser (as the article points out). If there were any carbon in those stars, there’d be some magnificent diamonds……
True – but it’s also a zillion times denser (as the article points out). If there were any carbon in those stars there’d be some magnificent diamonds……
I read about this a few days ago. Basically they found that yes a neutron star can have ‘mountains’ many centimeters tall and that means we should be able to detect gravitation waves created by them spinning very fast.
I read about this a few days ago. Basically they found that yes a neutron star can have ‘mountains’ many centimeters tall and that means we should be able to detect gravitation waves created by them spinning very fast.
Question for those who might know: if a neutron star were to pas through or near a large cloud of hydrogen gas, might its gravity be sufficient to confine the gas a restart the fusion-fission process to become something like a red dwarf again?
Whats a few orders of magnitude between friends?
Engineer Cliff-Web of the Cheela might know.
That was my reaction? How can anything be described as having a tensile strength if it only exists if it’s under compression?
Now, that doesn’t mean it can’t have compressive strength, or be stiff, or incompressible, or what have you. It just can’t have tensile strength.
No molecules can exist on a neutron star. No protons or electrons.
AFAIK those mountains are rather in the millimetre range
How can it be strong if it only exists under degeneracy pressure? If it were possible to isolate it from the star, the sample would explode – it has negative strength.
True – but it’s also a zillion times denser (as the article points out). If there were any carbon in those stars, there’d be some magnificent diamonds……
I read about this a few days ago. Basically they found that yes a neutron star can have ‘mountains’ many centimeters tall and that means we should be able to detect gravitation waves created by them spinning very fast.