All Questions
Tagged with neutrons neutron-stars
34
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2
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What is known about the isotope distribution of neutronium decay?
Sometimes it is known to happen. For example, neutron star mergers might result in unstable neutronium droplets which lose the enormous pressure that makes them stable. A "nucleon" of $10^{...
4
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2
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How do neutron stars overcome neutron degeneracy?
In a white dwarf, the star is prevented from collapsing due to the Pauli exclusion principle. If the star is heavy enough, the protons in the star will capture electrons, forming neutrons and ...
4
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1
answer
243
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Why the Fermi's energies of the proton, neutron and electron are related in this way in a neutron star?
I'm referring to this answer made by ProfRob about why neutrons are stable against beta decay in neutron stars.
I've partially understood the answer: when the Fermi's momentum of the electron $p_f = (...
0
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2
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Neutron star vs. Islands of stability
"Neutron stars" are said to be almost entirely composed of neutrons. The islands of stability principle recognizes an upper limit to the number of neutrons that can be introduced to an atom. ...
3
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2
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How can there be superconducting protons and neutrons inside an incredibly hot neutron star?
It is hard enough for me to try to wrap my head around the idea of superconducting particles other than electrons (especially neutrons!), ....
Given the insanely hot temperatures inside a neutron star ...
4
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1
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Do the free neutrons in a neutron star sometimes decay and immediately re-form?
Is there any way of confirming this, one way or the other? Would it affect any of the star's 'observeables', so to speak?
I know that two similar questions are up on Stack Exchange-physics, and I ...
1
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0
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What would happen if someone takes a sample away from a neutron star? [duplicate]
What would happen if someone takes a sample slowly away from a neutron star? Will it gradually change to some "normal" matter with regular atoms? If so, what atomic number will they have?
3
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2
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Does the collision of a neutron and anti-neutron produce energy?
Following up on this post: Anti-Particle of Neutron, one very important part of it is unanswered. If a neutron collides with an anti-neutron, will it violently explode in a flash of energy? The ...
8
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3
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Is it possible that two neutrons can merge?
At the center of neutron stars are tightly packed neutrons with almost no space between them. Also, proton and electron have all merged (electron capture) forming as much neutrons as possible. When ...
1
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1
answer
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Pressure stabilisation of radionuclei
Looking at explanations of neutron stars, the neutrons towards the center of the star are stabilised by the enormous pressure, and so don't undergo nuclear decay. I am wondering if this is possible ...
10
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2
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Why do neutron stars have such powerful magnetic fields?
The magnetic strength of these objects is too low based on flux conservation from the original star and yet too high for a composition of mainly neutrons. Is it actually due to some quantum effect?
3
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1
answer
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What happens when a neutron star loses enough mass to go under Chandrasekhar limit?
Say if a blackhole passes very close by a neutron star at high speed fly-by and eats half of the neutron star. What happens to the other half? Does it blow up in size as the electroweak force pushes ...
4
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1
answer
160
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Can gravity give neutrons a longer lifespan? [duplicate]
Isolated neutrons have a lifespan of about one minute yet neutrons in a neutron star can have the lifespan of the neutron star itself and not decay into proton and electron. Is the intense gravity ...
-1
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1
answer
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Why are neutron spectra continuous, with maxima? e.g 252Cf [closed]
I want to know why there is a maximum and then decrease.
10
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2
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Neutron stars - only neutrons?
I was at a museum recently, and there was a display on neutron stars. It said that neutron stars are made only of neutrons, which honestly didn't make much sense to me - neutrons decay very quickly on ...