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Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

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Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#11

Post by ericfrenkiel »

maxxxxx wrote: post #5
ericfrenkiel wrote: post #4

If you read the article and enjoyed the idea of immense mountains being just centimeters tall, I highly recommend a scifi novel called “Dragon’s Egg” by Robert L. Forward. He actually wrote a scientific research paper on neutron stars and turned the paper into a novel! Hard science fiction at its best and makes nuclear chemistry and physics delightfully approachable.

I really liked the idea of the book but to be honest I didn't like the story so the book was pretty disappointing.

To each his own! I found the way the author mapped human evolution into a familiar-but-different life form based on nuclear chemistry just so “far out” that it was a fun read.

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#12

Post by phyzome »

stevew20 wrote: post #8
warent wrote: post #2

To me, neutron stars are one of the most awe-inspiring astronomical objects. However... > "Al dente" > "Previously, scientists didn’t know how large a mountain nuclear pasta could support." This must be one of the most pop-sci articles I've ever seen.

Seriously, I thought I must've been misreading it serveral times lol. Not sure what the target audience is here, but regardless, it missed that audience

The author isn't trying to be cute. Those are literally the terms the scientists use..

« These as-yet theoretical clumps are thought to be shaped like blobs, tubes or sheets, and are named after their noodle look-alikes, including gnocchi, spaghetti and lasagna. »

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#13

Post by jacquesm »

elorant wrote: post #7
saagarjha wrote: post #3

> nuclear pasta could support mountains tens of centimeters tall I’m curious how much potential energy is stored in such a “mountain”. Tens of centimeters is massive ; I’m sure the amount of energy must be enormous.

Power as in electricity wouldn't be that much. Power as in heat could be mind boggling. Temperature on a neutron star could be 10^12 Celsius.

Potential energy is mgh.

Nothing to do with electricity or temperature.

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#16

Post by domparise »

jacquesm wrote: post #13
elorant wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Power as in electricity wouldn't be that much. Power as in heat could be mind boggling. Temperature on a neutron star could be 10^12 Celsius.

Potential energy is mgh. Nothing to do with electricity or temperature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_potential_energy

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#17

Post by BurningFrog »

ericfrenkiel wrote: post #4

If you read the article and enjoyed the idea of immense mountains being just centimeters tall, I highly recommend a scifi novel called “Dragon’s Egg” by Robert L. Forward. He actually wrote a scientific research paper on neutron stars and turned the paper into a novel! Hard science fiction at its best and makes nuclear chemistry and physics delightfully approachable.

"Hard" science fiction...

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#18

Post by endymi0n »

In a true Randall Munroe "What if?" fashion, I'd be interested if this stuff would be stable enough to hold together on its own or if it needs the absolutely extreme gravity and pressure around it to stick together and would fall apart otherwise.

So if a teaspoon of Nuclear Neutron Pasta would really end up somewhere on a meadow here on Earth, what would happen?

Re: Nuclear pasta in neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe

#19

Post by warent »

time-of-flight wrote: post #10
warent wrote: post #2

To me, neutron stars are one of the most awe-inspiring astronomical objects. However... > "Al dente" > "Previously, scientists didn’t know how large a mountain nuclear pasta could support." This must be one of the most pop-sci articles I've ever seen.

I don't think it's egregious at all. We use terms like "gnocchi phase", "lasagna phase", and neutron-star mountains regularly in the nuclear-matter literature, so these aren't indicative of any pop-sci "massaging" by the author.

I love this. I had absolutely no idea. Thanks for the info!
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