Centripetal Acceleration of pulsar

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the centripetal and tangential acceleration of a pulsar with a rotation period of 33.085 milliseconds and an equatorial radius of 15 kilometers. The centripetal acceleration was calculated to be 5.413 x 108 m/s2 using the formula ac = v2/r. Additionally, the tangential acceleration requires understanding angular acceleration, which can be derived from the pulsar's slowing rate of 3.5 x 10-13 seconds, leading to a calculation involving at = αr.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of centripetal acceleration and its formula (ac = v2/r)
  • Knowledge of tangential acceleration and its relationship to angular acceleration (at = αr)
  • Familiarity with angular displacement and its rate of change
  • Basic principles of pulsar physics and neutron star characteristics
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn how to calculate angular acceleration from a given rate of slowing
  • Study the relationship between linear and angular velocity in rotating systems
  • Explore the physics of neutron stars and their rotational dynamics
  • Investigate the implications of pulsar period changes on astrophysical models
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy students, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in the dynamics of pulsars and neutron stars will benefit from this discussion.

LeakyFrog
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Homework Statement


Pulsars are neutron stars that emit X rays and other radiation in such a way that we on Earth receive pulses of radiation from pulsars at regular intervals equal to the period that they rotate. A certain pulsar has a period currently of length 33.085m/s and is estimated to have an equatorial radius of 15km.
a) What is the value of the centripetal acceleration of an object on the surface at the equator of the pulsar?
b) many pulsars are observed to have periods that lengthen slightly with time. The rate of slowing of this pulsar is 3.5x10^-13 seconds, which implies that if this rate remains constant it will stop spinning in 9.5x10^10 seconds. What is the tangential acceleration of an object on the equator of this neutron star?

Homework Equations


ac = v2/r
at= dv/dt
v=2(pi)r/T

The Attempt at a Solution


a) for a) I got 5.413x10^8 (m/s2)
b) This is the part that I'm getting stuck on. I'm not really sure what tangential acceleration is. And even using the dv/dt I'm not entirely sure where I would get dv/dt. Any suggestions/questions for this portion are appreciated
 
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the rate of slowing means the rate of change of angular displacement.

So you can find the angular acceleration and then use at=αr
 

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