Neutron stars: probing physics at the extreme

中子星：探索极端物理学

• 批准号: 288235-2012
• 负责人: Heyl, Jeremy
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=525747
• 关键词: Neutron; stars; probing; physics; extreme

A general theme threads my research: how is our understanding of astrophysical phenomena and fundamental physics connected. Neutron stars provide a laboratory to test our knowledge of nature at the extreme. The magnetic fields, densities and pressures of neutron stars exceed those produced on Earth more than a billion-fold. Neutron stars provide a unique opportunity to extrapolate and verify our theories of matter, energy and their interaction. My recent and future research program focusses on the theoretical and observational understanding of these and related objects. Neutron stars are the densest objects that we can directly observe in the universe --- the central singularity of a black hole is denser but it is hidden behind an event horizon and unobservable. At the end of a massive star's life, its core comprising of about one to two solar masses collapses to a sphere about ten kilometers in radius, the neutron star with a mean density of 1e15 g/cc, greater than the density of atomic nuclei. During the collapse the magnetic field of the core intensifies reaching 1e12 G typically and up to 1e15 G about ten percent of the time (forming a magnetar - this fraction is a recent result from my group). The phase of matter within the extremely dense cores of these objects lies beyond our current knowledge, and probing it is one goal of studying neutron stars. Above the core lies a crust (about 1 km thick) of material at subnuclear density. The phase of this material is known, but many of its properties have not yet been determined. This lower density material regulates the transfer of energy from the core to the surface, generating much of the phenomenology of neutron stars.

一个普遍的主题贯穿着我的研究：我们对天体物理现象和基础物理学的理解是如何联系在一起的。中子星提供了一个实验室来检验我们对极端自然的认识。中子星的磁场、密度和压力都是地球上的10亿倍以上。中子星提供了一个独特的机会来推断和验证我们关于物质、能量及其相互作用的理论。我最近和未来的研究计划将集中在对这些和相关对象的理论和观察理解上。中子星是我们在宇宙中可以直接观测到的密度最大的物体——黑洞的中心奇点密度更大，但它隐藏在视界后面，无法观测到。在一颗大质量恒星生命结束时，它的核心由大约一到两个太阳质量组成，坍缩成半径约10公里的球体，中子星的平均密度为1e15克/立方厘米，比原子核的密度还要大。在坍缩过程中，地核的磁场增强，通常达到1e12g，大约10%的时间达到1e15g（形成磁星——这部分是我的小组最近的结果）。在这些物体极其致密的核心中，物质的相位超出了我们目前的知识范围，探索它是研究中子星的目标之一。地核上方是一层亚核密度的地壳（厚度约1公里）。这种材料的相位是已知的，但它的许多性质尚未确定。这种密度较低的物质调节了从核心到表面的能量转移，产生了中子星的许多现象。