Being the densest objects we know,neutron stars(NS)are key to understand matter in its most extreme states.Due to their small sizes and intrinsic faintness,NS can usually only be studied if they merge,if they accrete ...Being the densest objects we know,neutron stars(NS)are key to understand matter in its most extreme states.Due to their small sizes and intrinsic faintness,NS can usually only be studied if they merge,if they accrete matter,or if they emit radio pulses.Their formation is usually explained by the core collapse of massive stars accompanied by supernova explosions.This,however,cannot be the full story,because young NS also exist in old stellar populations devoid of massive stars.As an alternative scenario,the accretion-induced collapse(AIC)of a white dwarf(WD)was proposed.In many ways similar to neutron stars,WDs also consist of dense and degenerate matter without ongoing nuclear fusion.If WDs of a certain internal composition exceed the so-called Chandrasekhar mass limit,they are predicted to become unstable,collapse,and form NSs.Although this scenario fits well to the properties of many NS,it is still poorly studied observationally.展开更多
文摘Being the densest objects we know,neutron stars(NS)are key to understand matter in its most extreme states.Due to their small sizes and intrinsic faintness,NS can usually only be studied if they merge,if they accrete matter,or if they emit radio pulses.Their formation is usually explained by the core collapse of massive stars accompanied by supernova explosions.This,however,cannot be the full story,because young NS also exist in old stellar populations devoid of massive stars.As an alternative scenario,the accretion-induced collapse(AIC)of a white dwarf(WD)was proposed.In many ways similar to neutron stars,WDs also consist of dense and degenerate matter without ongoing nuclear fusion.If WDs of a certain internal composition exceed the so-called Chandrasekhar mass limit,they are predicted to become unstable,collapse,and form NSs.Although this scenario fits well to the properties of many NS,it is still poorly studied observationally.
