In the News - astronomers have discovered the most massive neutron star yet - 1.97 times as massive as our Sun. It was found in binary system accompanied by a white dwarf. Its a medium paced spinner also (less than half of the fastest discovered which was 716 times per second). Its still pretty fast in my books, though …
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Astronomers discover most massive neutron star yet known (w/ Video)
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This pulsar, called PSR J1614-2230, spins 317 times per second, and the companion completes an orbit in just under nine days. The pair, some 3,000 light-years distant, are in an orbit seen almost exactly edge-on from Earth. That orientation was the key to making the mass measurement.
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As the orbit carries the white dwarf directly in front of the pulsar, the radio waves from the pulsar that reach Earth must travel very close to the white dwarf. This close passage causes them to be delayed in their arrival by the distortion of spacetime produced by the white dwarf's gravitation. This effect, called the Shapiro Delay, allowed the scientists to precisely measure the masses of both stars.
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But the really big news is that many of the exotic material models, which talk about what neutron stars are made of, can be ruled out as not viable. It supports the concept of mainly compacted neutron matter.
They are also saying that the idea of a particular type of Gamma Ray Burst, (GRB), being caused by colliding neutron stars, is now supported by this discovery as a viable mechanism.
Very interesting discovery.
Cheers
