Neutron star: heaviest teaspoon of matter

In summary, neutron stars are extremely dense objects in the universe, with a density of around 6.65 * 10^14 g/cm^3. They are supported against gravitational collapse by neutron degeneracy pressure, and there are currently no known objects that are denser. There are theories of quark stars and the singularity of black holes having infinite densities, but these are not well understood. Neutron stars also have some extreme properties, such as objects falling onto them releasing more energy than nuclear fusion. Supermassive black holes in large galaxies have a higher density than neutron stars, but they do not actually suck in objects at a rapid rate.
  • #1
Vincent Vega
42
0
Is there anything in the observable universe that weighs more? 1 teaspoon = billion tons
 
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  • #2
hey Vega,

the matter in a neutron star is very (very very very) dense as you've grasped. Current theory explains neutron stars something like a giant nucleus, one that has a radius of about 10 km. (Actually the density of a neutron star is roughly 6.65 * 10^14 g/cm^3 while that in a typical nuclues is 'only' 2.3 * 10^14 g/cm^3). The star is being supported against gravitational collapse not by internal fusion like normal stars but by neutron degeneracy pressure. In plain english neutrons are a type of particle called fermions which don't like to be in the same place as other fermions so they exert a pressure if you bring them close together.

I don't think there are many things that could be denser because the nuetrons in the star are in the most closely packed configuration they can be in. I believe there are some speculative theories of quark stars where the individual neutrons dissolve into a sea of quarks, but there is no observational evidence that I am aware of. Also you have black holes which theoretically have infinite densities, but there is no theory that works well when trying to describe the singularity of a black hole.

Here are some other extreme facts about neutron stars

an object dropped from a height of 1m above the surface of a typical neutron star would impact the surface traveling at 4.3 million mph. that's one hell of a ride.

im kind of rambling here because its late, but another interesting thing is that the gravitational potential energy liberated when an object falls onto a neutron star is greater than the amount of energy one would liberate through the fusion of hydrogen atoms. ie throwing a chunk of hydrogen onto a nuetron star and collecting the energy that is radiated on the way down is a more efficient way to get energy than nuclear fusion!

hope your mind is warped :tongue2:

gabe
 
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  • #3
It is... my mind that is. That's pretty narly info!
 
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  • #4
What has density than a neutron star? Hmmm, that would be a super massive black hole in a very large galaxy. It should be sucking in millions of stars per second!
 
  • #5
white holes said:
What has density than a neutron star? Hmmm, that would be a super massive black hole in a very large galaxy. It should be sucking in millions of stars per second!


yeah i would agree you could say the density is higher (infinite), but you overestimated the accretion rate a little there white hole. Say we had a galaxy with 10 trillion stars in it (a large over estimate) then if they were disappearing at the rate of a million per second the whole galaxy would be swallowed in ten million seconds or about 116 days. galaxies last a little longer than that.
 
  • #6
and black holes don't really suck things in like that. If our sun suddenly turned into a black hole we wouldn't even notice it, other than it would stay nighttime and get really cold. Our orbit would be the exact same.
 

1. What is a neutron star?

A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that is formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and undergoes a supernova explosion. It is composed almost entirely of neutrons and is extremely dense, with a mass greater than that of the sun packed into a sphere with a diameter of only about 10 kilometers.

2. How heavy is a neutron star?

A neutron star can have a mass of about 1.4 to 3 times that of the sun, which is equivalent to about 460,000 trillion teaspoons of matter. This makes it the heaviest teaspoon of matter in the universe.

3. What causes a neutron star to be so heavy?

The extreme density of a neutron star is caused by the immense gravitational forces that occur during a supernova explosion. When a massive star collapses, its core is compressed to such a degree that the electrons and protons merge to form neutrons, resulting in a highly dense and compact object.

4. What is the surface of a neutron star like?

The surface of a neutron star is incredibly hot and covered in a layer of solid iron. The temperature can reach up to 1 million degrees Celsius, making it one of the hottest objects in the universe. The intense gravity also causes the surface to have a high amount of pressure, making it incredibly smooth and flat.

5. Can we observe neutron stars?

Yes, neutron stars can be observed using telescopes and other instruments that detect X-rays, radio waves, and other forms of radiation. They are often found in binary systems with another star, and their presence can be detected through the effects of their strong gravitational pull on their companion star.

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