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Dremmer
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If proton decay does not occur, will neutron stars just last for eternity unless something collides with them?
phinds said:If the Big Rip holds then no macro objects will persist forever.
DrStupid said:Has the neutron star no influence on the expansion of space?
Dremmer said:If proton decay does not occur, will neutron stars just last for eternity unless something collides with them?
A neutron star is a dense, compact object that is formed when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion. It is made up almost entirely of neutrons and has a diameter of about 20 kilometers.
Neutron stars are considered immortal because they have an incredibly long lifespan. They are extremely stable and can last for billions of years without changing or decaying significantly. As they are made up of neutrons, which are stable particles, there is no known process that can cause them to decay.
While neutron stars are incredibly stable and long-lived, they can be destroyed in rare events such as a collision with another neutron star or a black hole. These events can cause the neutron star to collapse and form a black hole or result in a supernova explosion.
We know that neutron stars are immortal based on our understanding of stellar evolution and the properties of neutrons. Scientists have also observed neutron stars that are billions of years old, providing evidence of their long lifespan.
It is possible for a neutron star to eventually become a black hole through a process known as accretion. This occurs when the neutron star gains mass from a nearby companion star, causing it to exceed its limit and collapse into a black hole. However, this process would take an incredibly long time and is not guaranteed to happen.