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Sizing Up the Most Massive Neutron Star April 29, 2021• Physics 14, 64 A satellite experiment has revealed that the heaviest known neutron star is unexpectedly large, which suggests that the matter in the star’s inner core is less “squeezable” than some models predict.  Goddard Space Flight Center NICER measures the size of a neutron star by tracking the x-ray emission from “hot spots” on the surface as the star rotates. These spots occur at the magnetic poles of the star, where the field slams particles onto the star surface. Goddard Space Flight Center NICER measures t...

Neutron stars may be bigger than expected, measurement of lead nucleus suggests Apr. 27, 2021 , 11:00 AM Say what you want about lead, it’s got a surprisingly thick skin—of neutrons, that is. In fact, the layer of neutrons on the outside of a lead nucleus is twice as thick as physicists thought, according to a new study. The seemingly abstruse result could have out-of-this-world implications: Neutron stars, the ultradense spheres left behind when stars explode in supernova explosions, could be stiffer and bigger than theory generally predicts. “It’s a fantastic experimental achievemen...

6 hours ago Like a dried-up lemon from the back of the fridge, neutron stars are less squeezable than expected, physicists report. New measurements of the most massive known neutron star find that it has a surprisingly large diameter, suggesting that the matter within isn’t as squishy as some theories predicted, physicists with the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, or NICER, reported April 17 at a virtual meeting of the American Physical Society. When a dying star explodes, it can leave behind a memento: a remnant crammed with neutrons. These neutron stars are extraordinarily dens...

Using the NICER telescope on the International Space Station, researchers determined that the pulsar in the Crab Nebula releases millisecond-long pulses of radio waves, called giant radio pulses, that are accompanied by X-ray surges.

Giant radio pulses and X-ray surges are coming from the Crab Nebula The hauntingly beautiful Crab Nebula, located 6,500 light-years away in the Taurus constellation, is releasing an incredible amount of energy. The nebula is six light-years wide, and it’s a growing cloud of debris formed from a supernova explosion. (A light-year is six trillion miles). The light from this supernova first reached Earth in July 1054 and was witnessed by astronomers in Japan and China. When the star exploded, it formed a neutron star, which is the dense core of a star that is about the size of a city like Chic...