neutron star

[eburacum45]

Remember this stuff would be very, very hot, which should supply all the energy required. Whether cold neutronium would be stable I don't know, and to be honest I doubt it. Contrary to ones expectations, I understand that neutronium is a fluid-like material, rather than a solid-like material, so should expand when the pressure is released, rather than stay at a particular density like a&nbsp;diamond.&nbsp; <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>---------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>http://orionsarm.com  http://thestarlark.blogspot.com/</p> </div>

 

[Saiph]

<p>very hot yes, but it's still degenerate even at those temperatures.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Remember, neutron stars begin forming in the cores of supermassive stars, where the temperature is millions of degrees kelvin.&nbsp; And we're talking about neutronium from the surface of a neutron star (say, 100,000 kelvin since my earlier numbers are for white dwarfs). &nbsp;</p><p>As the energy already in the neutronium is unable to "melt" it...and it's only going to shed energy on the earths surface, I see no way for the necessary extra energy to be absorbed to "melt" the neutronium.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As for liquid or solid...I think it's solid, unless under insane pressures (surface of neutron stars are supposed to be solid)&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

Being full of neutrons, there's no electromagnetic repulsive force.&nbsp; However, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't he strong nuclear force gradually gets weaker the closer the neutrons get together and eventual turn repulsive.&nbsp; I don't know if this would be enough to make it fly apart, but it would allow it to expand the neutrons out to a stable distance within the normal strong force distances. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

Chronos' quote is wrong, but probably not intentionally.&nbsp; He states that it needs to overcome the neutron degeneracy pressure.&nbsp; A neutron star needs to actually overcome the electron degeneracy to collapse.&nbsp; At this point it has achieved the pressure required for neutron degeneracy... not surpassed.&nbsp; The only thing keep a neutron star from collapsing is the Pauli Exclusion Principle which is not a repulsive force in a physical way.&nbsp; Beyond that, it's a black hole. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[eburacum45]

<p>When we discussed the concept of 'neutronium' over at Orion's Arm, our physics gurus (both working physicists) gave the opinion that it would be worse than useless; it would tend to fly apart and would have practically no tensile strength. We decided to use an entirely speculative material called 'monopolium' instead; because of the magnetic field of the monopoles, this material would be both strong and hyperdense.</p><p>I'll suggest that we might find a use for hypercooled neutronium- with no heat energy to draw on, perhaps a blob of neutronium might stay together long enough to be observed. Often materials cool down during expansion- perhaps a blob of neutronium could&nbsp;be used in&nbsp;a rapid cooling device of some sort.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>---------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>http://orionsarm.com  http://thestarlark.blogspot.com/</p> </div>

 

[eburacum45]

<p>I finally found the post where Luke Campbell describes his&nbsp;visualisation of neutronium; it seems that I was wrong, and it doesn't expand explosively (at least not in the way I thought it would)</p><p>"Neutron "solids" (usually called neutronium) are unstable at sizes<br />less than our sun, mostly because they are not in fact a solid, but<br />rather a gas of particles which are not bound to each other except by<br />their mutual gravity. Remove the mind-boggling pressure crushing them<br />together and the neutrons simply drift away from each other. Then,<br />since they are radioactive, they decay into protons and electrons with<br />a half life of about ten minutes."</p><p>There is no chemical bonding or surface tension holding the neutrons together, so they would just drift off like a (quite radioactive) gas. Not very useful except as a fallout weapon, it seems.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>---------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>http://orionsarm.com  http://thestarlark.blogspot.com/</p> </div>

 

[Saiph]

<p>if they do just disperse like that...ugh!&nbsp; think about it...a billion tons of radioactive material with a half-life of 10 minutes...&nbsp;&nbsp; That's magnitudes worse than a nuclear reactor melt-down I think.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Still not sure about the disperal though, well, we'll see who comes up with any info on that.&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I heard "Lucky Man" on the radio yesterday, and it made me want to play the Court of the Crimson King...but I can't cause all the windows are open, and the only way to play that is LOUD!!!Sunday it's supposed to get cloudy and cooler, so the windows will be closed... <br />Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV><br />&nbsp;&nbsp; Who&nbsp; is&nbsp; to&nbsp; bring&nbsp; back&nbsp; the&nbsp;&nbsp; neutron&nbsp; star?It is 61000&nbsp; times&nbsp;&nbsp; heavier&nbsp; than&nbsp; water.

 

[michaelmozina]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp;I might just be arguing semantics here, but my understanding is that the surface of the crust is not degenerate because there is not enough pressure. &nbsp;I've read it is mainly iron.&nbsp; </DIV></p><p>That's my understanding as well.&nbsp; The "crust" is composed of mostly Iron and Nickel ions stripped of all their electrons.&nbsp; There is however a "minimum size" at which they tend to become "unstable". </p><p>http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0201434 </p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It seems to be a natural consequence of our points of view to assume that the whole of space is filled with electrons and flying electric ions of all kinds. - Kristian Birkeland </div>

 

[kelvinzero]

<p>Ah, ok. I guess you can make an analogy to compressing a gas, it releasing energy and becoming liquid. If you release the pressure it doesnt spring back into a gas but has to absorb energy from the surroundings.</p><p>Im still a bit confused though. Is boiling neutronium going to suck in energy from its surroundings or release energy into its surroundings? Sounds sort of like it might pass straight through normal matter freezing it as it goes.</p>

 

[michaelmozina]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Ah, ok. I guess you can make an analogy to compressing a gas, it releasing energy and becoming liquid. If you release the pressure it doesnt spring back into a gas but has to absorb energy from the surroundings.Im still a bit confused though. Is boiling neutronium going to suck in energy from its surroundings or release energy into its surroundings? Sounds sort of like it might pass straight through normal matter freezing it as it goes. <br /> Posted by kelvinzero</DIV></p><p>FYI, I think this is a pretty good introduction to neutron stars. </p><p>http://www.astro.umd.edu/~miller/nstar.html</p><p>The general implication is that a neutron star becomes "unstable" below a specific critical mass, at which point it simply "explodes". </p><p>http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3835085</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It seems to be a natural consequence of our points of view to assume that the whole of space is filled with electrons and flying electric ions of all kinds. - Kristian Birkeland </div>

 

[geminga]

<p>My name is Geminga and I am a neutron star. I am apprx. 10 km's in diameter and I send out a <img src="http://sitelife.livescience.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-innocent.gif" border="0" alt="Innocent" title="Innocent" /> radio signal. I live in the Crab-nebula, but would love to visit your home. I fear I would not be a welcome guest, however. Alas, we will have to conduct a long-distance love affair.</p><p>Question. Will I ever realize my dream of going "black-hole?" If so, would we ever be close enough for me to feast on your beautiful blueness? </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong>GEMINGA</strong> </div>

 

[jim48]

<br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/11/2382ec9b-5776-45cf-bb21-ffcd87f7a449.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><strong><font size="4">That's what is left of Earth, per your scenario.</font></strong> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[geminga]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>That's what is left of Earth, per your scenario. <br /> Posted by jim48</DIV><br />Well, thanx alot, Jim! You really know how to respond to romantic overtures!<img src="http://sitelife.livescience.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cry.gif" border="0" alt="Cry" title="Cry" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong>GEMINGA</strong> </div>

 

[AstroHurricane001]

If you brought some neutron star material to Earth, there's a chance it could destroy a good portion of the planet. A marshmellow dropped onto a neutron star would release an amount of energy equivalent to 50&nbsp;Hiroshima bombs! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[inou2]

Thankyou for all the posts to the question i asked 9 months ago. So the answer is i would just explode or fade away? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>