Discover the Rare Black Neutron Star

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the significance of a BBC article regarding the observation of an object with a mass between that of the most massive neutron star and the least massive black hole. Participants explore the implications of this observation and the uncertainty surrounding the classification of the object as either a neutron star or a black hole.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the significance of the article due to its lack of references.
  • One participant argues that the article's headline and initial paragraph are misleading, suggesting that the object observed does not definitively classify as a neutron star or a black hole.
  • There is a discussion about the uncertainty in the maximum possible mass for neutron stars, with estimates ranging between 1.5 and 3 solar masses, which complicates the classification of the observed object.
  • A participant references a journal article related to the observation and questions whether the findings were previously reported 17 or 18 years ago.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the significance of the article or the classification of the observed object, indicating multiple competing views and ongoing uncertainty.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in the current understanding of the equation of state of matter in the mass regime of neutron stars and black holes, which affects the ability to classify the observed object definitively.

Space news on Phys.org
phinds said:
This BBC article posts no references so I wonder if anyone has any idea how significant it is?

The headline and initial paragraph of the article are highly misleading. All that's going on here is that an object has been observed with a mass greater than that of the most massive neutron star previously observed, but less than the mass of the least massive black hole previously observed, and astronomers aren't sure yet whether it's a neutron star or a black hole.

If we had a more accurate knowledge of the maximum possible mass for neutron stars (all we know is that it's somewhere between about 1.5 and 3 solar masses; we can't pin it down more accurately because of our poor understanding of the equation of state of matter in this regime), we might be able to rule out the possibility that this object is a neutron star; but we don't, so we can't.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman and Buzz Bloom
PeterDonis said:
The headline and initial paragraph of the article are highly misleading.
Imagine my surprise :oldlaugh:

Thanks Peter
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What happens when a Neutron Star forms a Black Hole?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
Undergrad How Does the Size of Neutron Stars Compare to Black Holes?
  • · Replies 48 ·
2
Replies
48
Views
6K
High School What Size Would the Universe Be if Compressed to Neutron Star Density?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
High School MPEG movie: traveling to a black hole or a neutron star
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
High School Neutron star 4U 1820-30 spins at 716 revolutions per second
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
3K
Undergrad If We Crack the Neutron Star Equation of State, How Will It Change Our Daily Lives?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Undergrad Can proton/neutron decay be avoided in some conditions?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Undergrad Which Has A Stronger Gravitational Pull - A Black Hole or Neutron Star?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
Graduate Very last pulse from a neutron star
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
High School What is the oldest of each class of star?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K