Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars that have undergone supernova explosions, consisting mostly of neutrons. They are incredibly dense and have strong gravitational and magnetic fields.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
Neutron stars have a radius of about 10 kilometers but contain more mass than the Sun.
They result from the collapse of a star with a core mass between 1.4 to 3 solar masses.
Their surfaces can reach temperatures of around $10^6$ K shortly after formation.
Neutron stars exhibit phenomena such as pulsars, which emit regular bursts of radiation.
The intense gravitational field near neutron stars significantly bends spacetime, making them important objects in studying general relativity.
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Related terms
Pulsar: A type of neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles, observed as regular pulses due to its rotation.
Supernova: A powerful and luminous explosion marking the end of a massive star's life cycle, often leading to the formation of neutron stars or black holes.
$Oppenheimer-Volkoff \text{ limit}$: $The maximum mass (around $3$ solar masses) that a neutron star can have before it collapses into a black hole.$