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Measuring neutron star squeezability

April 15th, 2021
Measuring neutron star squeezability
A neutron star begins its life as a star between about 7 and 20 times the mass of the sun. When this type of star runs out of fuel, it collapses under its own weight, crushing its core and triggering a supernova explosion. What remains is an ultra-dense sphere only about the size of a city across, but with up to twice the mass of the sun squeezed inside. Credit: NASA / Walt Feimer

A team of scientists used a telescope on the International Space Station to measure the size of PSR J0740+6620 (J0740, for short), the most massive known neutron star. NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) has captured unprecedented detail from this stellar remnant to learn more about matter in its core, which is on the threshold of collapsing into a black hole.

The NICER team will introduce their groundbreaking findings at a press conference during the 2021 APS April Meeting. NASA astronaut Christina Koch will join them to talk about how researchers use the space station as a science platform.

From pencils to pulsars

"Matter makes up everything we can see in the universe, from pencils to people to planets. In the heart of a neutron star, it's on the verge of collapsing into a black hole," said Cole Miller, an astronomy professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and a member of the NICER team.

"We can't recreate those conditions on Earth, but scientists can study them from a distance by measuring the masses and sizes of neutron stars and calculating how dense they are."

Miller will share the results from one of two groups that independently calculated the size of J0740.

Neutron star squeezability

"Our measurements of J0740 help constrain the squeezability of matter in neutron star cores, or at what density neutrons, one of the atomic building blocks, break down into smaller particles," said Anna Watts, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam.

Watts will share the results from the other independent team that calculated J0740's size.

Combined with data from other neutron stars and multimessenger observations, the J0740 results herald a new age of neutron star science.

FEATURED TALKS

NICER Constraints on the Neutron Star Equation of State (E03.3, E03.4)

4:39 p.m. - 5:06 p.m. CDT, Saturday, April 17, 2021Thomas RileyLivestream:Abstract: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR21/Session/E03.3

5:06 p.m. - 5:33 p.m. CDT, Saturday, April 17, 2021Cole MillerLivestream:Abstract: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR21/Session/E03.4

PRESS CONFERENCE

Register for the press conference to be held on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. CDT, Saturday, April 17, 2021.

Speakers:

  • Zaven Arzoumanian (NICER Science Lead, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)
  • Cole Miller (Professor of Astronomy, University of Maryland)
  • Anna Watts (Professor of Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam)
  • Sanjay Reddy (Professor of Physics, University of Washington)
  • Christina Koch (NASA Astronaut)

Media Contacts:

Claire AndreoliPublic Affairs OfficerNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.claire.andreoli@nasa.gov(301) 286-1940

Jeanette KazmierczakScience WriterNASA's Goddard Space Flight Centerjeanette.a.kazmierczak@nasa.gov

Press Conference Schedule

Register for each press conference separately at the links below. Press conferences will be recorded and made available upon request.

Saturday, April 17

10:00 a.m. CDT Measuring Neutron Star SqueezabilityNICER collaboration, NASA astronaut reveal size of most massive neutron star, highlight Space Station scienceRegister

12:00 p.m. CDT On the Pulse of Pulsars and Polar LightReimagined telescopes may fill the void left by Arecibo's collapseRegister

Sunday, April 18

10:00 a.m. CDT The Future of Particle Accelerators Is HereBehind the scenes of the Electron-Ion Collider, green accelerators that waste no energy, and chiral magnetic effect results debuting this summerRegister

12:00 p.m. CDT Scientists May Detect Signs of Extraterrestrial Life in the Next 5 to 10 YearsTelescope launching this autumn could spot biosignatures on other planets within three daysRegister

Monday, April 19

11:00 a.m. CDT The Fate of the PlanetUnconventional takes on pandemics and nuclear defense could protect humanity from catastrophic failureRegister

Provided by American Physical Society

Citation: Measuring neutron star squeezability (2021, April 15) retrieved 31 May 2025 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/379961812/measuring-neutron-star-squeezability.html
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