Gravitational Field Strength of a Neutron Star: Rotation & Heat Impact

In summary, the rotation of a neutron star has a small contribution to its gravitational field. The fastest neutron stars rotate at about 500 revolutions per second. This gives them an outer speed of 30000km/s or .1c. The heat contribution by this definition is probably small.
  • #1
povillsss
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So let's say we have a neutron star. A neutron star is very massive and very dense therefore it has a very strong gravitational field. But also it is rotating very fast and it really hot. This means it has more energy than if it was stationary and cold. Of course if this neutron star has more energy its gravitational field strength must also be stronger. I'm wondering by how much? If you could give me some formulae that would be great :D

P.S. first time writing.
Sorry for my bad English I'm not a native speaker.
 
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  • #2
Welcome to the forums!

Rotation is a small contribution. The fastest neutron stars rotate at about 500 revolutions per second. With a radius of roughly 10 kilometers, this gives them an outer speed if 30000km/s or .1c. You can calculate the Lorentz-factor for this speed, it is very close to 1 (where 1 is "just mass contributes").

Heat is problematic to define - the inside does not follow the classical "this is cold matter, we can heat it up to get warm matter" pattern.
 
  • #3
Well, for heat, one possible definition is the the decrease in gravitational mass measured by orbital testers between a 'new' neutron star, and the same star if if were isolated and allowed to radiative for e.g. 10 billion years (or reach equlibrium with CMB - its radiation being essentially indistinguishable from CMB).

I think the answer is that the contribution of head defined this way, to the mass of a new neutron star, is small. I don't have any numbers though.
 
  • #4
PAllen said:
Well, for heat, one possible definition is the the decrease in gravitational mass measured by orbital testers between a 'new' neutron star, and the same star if if were isolated and allowed to radiative for e.g. 10 billion years (or reach equlibrium with CMB - its radiation being essentially indistinguishable from CMB).

I think the answer is that the contribution of head defined this way, to the mass of a new neutron star, is small. I don't have any numbers though.
That's probably a good approach. But then you might get contraction (and therefore the release of gravitational energy) as another contribution.

I agree that the heat contribution by this definition is probably small.
 
  • #5
Well the energy density and stuff enter the Energy momentum tensor in Einstein's equation.
The metric is the Kerr-Metric +a term which is due to the existence of matter, and so I think you have to solve for [itex]G_{\mu \nu} = a T_{\mu \nu}[/itex] to find this extra term...although that's somewhat perturbative.
 
  • #6
mfb said:
That's probably a good approach. But then you might get contraction (and therefore the release of gravitational energy) as another contribution.

I agree that the heat contribution by this definition is probably small.

I'd be perfectly willing to accept 'gravitational heat'. Contraction does lead to heating in normal bodies, which then may be radiated. If in a more extreme regime, you get some direct GW emission, so what? I could also argue that what initially keeps a body un-contracted is some form of 'heat', so it is being converted to GW.

I don't mean to push this too far, just argue that if you accept by heat 'any energy (all forms) that radiates away until equilibrium with a very cold reservoir', then you can discuss heat for content for exotic bodies, and the corresponding mass equivalent (measured via influence on test bodies at great distance - to abstract from frame dragging effects of high rotation).
 
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  • #7
When considering black hole thermodynamics, spin and charge can contribute the BHs gravity-

[tex]dM=\frac{\kappa}{8\pi}\,dA\,+\,\Omega\,dJ\,+\,\Phi\,dQ[/tex]

where the first term is related to irreducible mass- [itex]M_{ir}=\sqrt(A/16\pi)[/itex], the second to rotation- [itex]J[/itex] and the third to charge- [itex]Q[/itex]. The irreducible mass would be mass left if both the properties of spin and charge were extracted from the black hole so it's not too much of a stretch to say that spin and heat contribute to the gravity of a neutron star. Pressure would also make a contribution to the gravity field. A basic algebraic interpretation of Einsteins law of gravity is [itex]g=\rho c^2+3P[/itex] where [itex]\rho[/itex] is density and [itex]P[/itex] is pressure, also pressure can be described as being synonymous with energy density.

Source-
Black Hole Thermodynamics by Narit Pidokrajt
http://www.physto.se/~narit/bh.pdf pages 9-12
 
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1. What is the gravitational field strength of a neutron star?

The gravitational field strength of a neutron star is incredibly strong, measuring at approximately 2 x 10^11 times stronger than Earth's gravitational field. This is due to the incredibly dense mass of the star, which is typically around 1.4 times the mass of the sun but condensed into a sphere with a diameter of only about 20 kilometers.

2. How does the rotation of a neutron star affect its gravitational field strength?

The rotation of a neutron star can have a significant impact on its gravitational field strength. As the star rotates, it causes a distortion in its shape and therefore, its gravitational field. This effect is known as frame dragging and can cause the gravitational field strength to vary slightly depending on the orientation of the star.

3. Can the gravitational field strength of a neutron star change over time?

While the gravitational field strength of a neutron star is incredibly strong, it can change over time due to a phenomenon called spin-down. This occurs when the star's rotation slows down, causing a decrease in its gravitational field strength. This process is relatively slow and can take millions of years to make a significant impact.

4. How does heat impact the gravitational field strength of a neutron star?

Heat plays a critical role in the behavior of a neutron star's gravitational field strength. As the star cools down, it can cause the core to solidify and shrink, leading to a stronger gravitational field. On the other hand, if the star heats up, it can cause the core to expand, resulting in a weaker gravitational field.

5. Is the gravitational field strength of a neutron star uniform across its surface?

No, the gravitational field strength of a neutron star is not uniform across its surface. This is due to the uneven distribution of mass and the effects of frame dragging caused by the star's rotation. The differences in the gravitational field strength can also lead to variations in the star's emitted radiation and other observable properties.

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