Neutron
Star
- This mass is
about one third of the mass of super nova which has
exploded. It is about 3 to 5 times solar mass.
- All matter in this star is in
form of neutrons and contains neutrons of heavy elements
only. When atoms of heavy elements get converted to
neutrons they do not exhibit properties of that elements.
But the atomic mass is only containing so many neutrons
as that of its respective element.
- Though the mass
of neutron star is 3 to 5 times that of solar mass its
size is very small, only about 40 to 50 km in diameter.
- The density of neutron star is
very high and hence the higher gravitational force.
- The gravitational force is so
high that it effects the light passing in the viscinity
of it - The light gets bent as shown in fig (f)-attachment (Fnstr.doc).
- As the mass of Neutron star is very compact, the temperature is very low, of the order
of 5-10oK.
- Neutron star is
also known as pulsar as it is pulsating. It cannot be
seen due to its very small size but it can be heard
through its pulsating frequency.
- It is believed that the Neutron
star is rotating
around its axis at the
rate of its pulsating frequency. This is a wrong belief.
- The star is actually vibrating at
that frequency in its
position. We can say that it is ringing like a huge
bell in the sky.
- The vibrations are due to heavy
impact of conversion of core matter into neutrons and
their sudden collapse into the centre.
- This ringing
dies down slowly and the pulse cannot be heard even
through a very sensitive and strong radio.
- It is also observed that the
neutron star again starts pulsating - due to some unknown reasons.
- This can be
very easily explained as some of the heavy but unseen
object - like meteor of very large size, about 50000 km
in diameter - strikes the neutron star and it starts ringing
again!
- As a matter of
fact very strange and very interesting things happen when
such accident takes place in the space. That is a meteor
of the size of about 50000 km in dia collides with the
neutron size of only 50 km size!!
- One of the
consequences is that it starts ringing again
- If any star like our sun
arrives in the viscinity of the neutron star - say within
about 100 light years of it, the star is being attracted
by the heavy gravitational force of neutron star and it
starts moving towards the Neutron star.
- The star when
reaches within 10 light years of the Neutron star its
mass starts moving in form of stream towards the Neutron
star and gets absorbed by it. The whole star is slowly
being eaten up - cannibalised by the Neutron star.
- The process of such
cannibalisation of one star can take about 50000 years to
300000 years depending on the size and mass of the victim
star.
- During the
cannibalisation of the victim star it keeps moving round
the Neutron star and approaching it.
- All mass of the
victim star when absorbed by the neutron star gets
converted to neutrons. The energy flowing with the mass
is utilised in conversion of matter into its neutron
form. Hence the temperature of the neutron star does not
increase.
- After consumption of all mass
of the victim star of size 1 to 3 Mio. Km in diameter the
size of Neutron star increases only by 10-12 km!!
- The area of 100
light years around the Neutron star becomes completely
vacant ! (unpopulated.) Usually the density of our galaxy
is a star in about 4 – 6 light years in space.
- The formation of Neutron star -
at the time of Super Nova Explosion takes only 10 to 15
minutes! All energy due to very high temperature of core
of super nova star and the inward impact of the explosion
converts all elemental atoms to neutrons.
- As very high
energy is being consumed during the process of converting
all elements to neutrons the temperature of such formed
neutron goes down. This is the reason why the temperature
of Neutron Star is so low.
By Indu
Mamtora
[email protected]
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