The gravitational strength is 100 billion times that of the Earth. How powerful is the terrifying cosmic object magnetar?

People have been exploring the mysteries of the universe, and astronomers have discovered an amazing celestial body in recent years - the neutron star. Neutron stars are considered to be a relatively amazing celestial body in the universe. What is scary about them is not how big their mass is, but their terrifying density. The density and mass of neutron stars have reached a level that we cannot imagine. If humans can get close to neutron stars, they will face unprecedented dangers and challenges. Next, we will talk about this terrible celestial body from the formation and characteristics of neutron stars.

What is a neutron star?

Neutron stars, white dwarfs, and black holes are all products of the death of stars. The life and death of stars reveal the mysteries of the universe. When the nuclear fusion reaction of a star comes to an end, the star begins the end of its life. However, the death of a star is not a simple disappearance, but the birth of new life. The way a star dies depends largely on its mass at birth. Stars with a mass greater than 8 times that of the sun will experience a shocking supernova explosion in the last stage of their lives. This explosion is the last glory of the star and the birth of new life. In this explosion, quasars are born. Quasars are powerful celestial bodies whose brightness exceeds the sum of all other stars in its galaxy. When the mass of a star reaches a certain limit - the Chandler limit, its fate will change. This limit refers to the collapse of the main sequence star into a neutron star or a black hole during its evolution.

The formation process and characteristics of neutron stars have always attracted widespread attention from scientists. They are very small in size, but extremely dense, so they have a strong gravitational field. Scientists have found that the mass of a typical neutron star is between 1.35 and 2.1 times the mass of the sun. Therefore, from a purely mass perspective, the mass of a neutron star is not very large.

Neutron stars have extremely high densities, with a mass of up to 100 million tons per cubic centimeter. Such a high density makes the gravitational field of a neutron star so strong that even photons cannot escape from the surface of a neutron star. Therefore, neutron stars are also called "black holes." However, unlike black holes, neutron stars are not truly "black" because their surfaces still emit some radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays. Neutron stars also rotate very quickly, and can rotate hundreds of times per second. This high-speed rotation produces a strong magnetic field, making neutron stars one of the strongest radio sources in the universe.

In addition, the surface temperature of a neutron star is also very high, reaching 10 million degrees Celsius. Although there are not many neutron stars in the universe, they are still important objects for scientists to study the evolution of the universe and astrophysics.

▏Why do neutron stars have such an amazing density?

We know that atoms are the smallest units of general matter, consisting of nuclei and electrons. The nucleus is located at the center of the atom and is much smaller than the atom. If the atom is compared to the earth, the nucleus is as big as a tall building. However, despite its tiny size, the nucleus has most of the mass of the atom. The density of neutron star matter is amazing because it compresses all the space in the atom. Electrons are incorporated into protons and converted into neutrons, making the nuclei closely arranged together. One cubic centimeter of neutron star matter can reach 2 billion tons, which is 360 million times the average density of the earth. The mass of neutron star matter the size of a sesame seed can even be comparable to 100 aircraft carriers.

Scientists sometimes refer to neutron stars as giant atomic nuclei because their density is the same as that of atomic nuclei. Neutron stars are the densest celestial bodies other than black holes. Although they are only a small planet with a diameter of only 10 to 20 kilometers, their surface gravity is 200 billion to 300 billion times that of the Earth. If a 70-kilogram person lands on a neutron star, he will feel a gravity several hundred billion times greater than that on Earth, and will instantly turn into a pile of neutrons and become part of the neutron star.

▏ Neutron star gravity

1. The horror of surface gravity

The density of neutron stars is extremely high, with a mass of hundreds of millions of tons per cubic centimeter. Due to the extremely high density of neutron stars, the gravity on their surface is also very strong. If we define the gravity strength of the earth as 1, then the gravity strength on the surface of a neutron star can reach 100 billion times that of the earth's gravity. This is an astonishing number, which means that on a neutron star, any matter will be extremely squeezed. This strong gravity gives neutron stars many strange properties. For example, the magnetic field of a neutron star is extremely strong, reaching a trillion times that of the earth's magnetic field. The study of gravity on the surface of neutron stars is of great significance to the scientific community.

First, it helps us understand the behavior of matter under extreme physical conditions. In addition, the strong magnetic field and rotation speed of neutron stars also provide us with valuable clues to study high-energy phenomena in the universe. On Earth, a day is 24 hours, but on a neutron star, a day only takes 30 seconds. Since the neutron star retains most of the angular momentum of the original star, but its radius is only one hundred thousandth of the original star, its rotation speed is very amazing. On a neutron star, stars will quickly cross the sky, leaving behind shining streaks of light. The fastest rotating neutron star currently known is PSRJ1748-2446ad. This neutron star with a radius of only 16 kilometers can rotate 716 times per second, which is equivalent to one rotation every 1.4 milliseconds. At the equator, its rotation speed can reach 70,000 kilometers per second.

The high-speed rotation of neutron stars is believed to be related to gamma-ray bursts in the universe. As human beings continue to study neutron stars, future space missions may carry more advanced instruments to more accurately measure the surface gravity of neutron stars. In addition, through the study of neutron stars, scientists are expected to reveal more mysteries of the universe, such as the formation of black holes and the generation of gravitational waves.

2. The dangers of a neutron star approaching the Earth

If a neutron star approaches the Earth, its surface temperature will reach 10 million degrees, which is nearly 100 times the temperature at the center of the sun. The surface of the Earth will be scorched and turned into a purgatory-like scene. Any creature will die instantly under such high temperatures, even the most adaptable creatures will not be spared. Even rocks and metals will be reduced to nothing.

In addition, the strong gravity of the neutron star will cause serious disturbances to the interior of the earth. The earth's atmosphere will be stripped away in a short period of time. The entire earth is like being repeatedly crushed and reassembled by a huge palm. This will trigger super volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and the earth's crust will be torn apart by gravity. Such geological disasters will plunge the earth into complete chaos and destruction. The earth will fall apart and eventually fall onto the surface of the neutron star and become its "meal". When humans are near the surface of a neutron star, they will feel a much stronger gravity than on Earth, and will be pulled by this invisible giant hand, like an adsorbed object, unable to escape its gravitational control. Even if you can launch a rocket, the speed of the rocket must reach 150,000 kilometers per second to escape the gravity of the neutron star. However, such a speed is almost impossible to achieve with the current level of technology.

In general, a neutron star approaching the Earth would be a devastating disaster. The Earth would be completely destroyed and become a meteor or a meteorite in the universe. This is one of the important reasons why humans need to seriously explore the universe and study cosmic science.

▏The unique properties of neutron stars and their research significance

1. Extremely high density

Scientists speculate that there may be some strange states of matter inside neutron stars, such as superfluids and superconductors. These strange states of matter may open a new door to science for us, giving us the opportunity to explore more secrets of the universe. The high density of neutron stars not only surprised scientists, but also the gravity on their surface is extremely strong, which can even distort the path of light. This strong gravity makes neutron stars of great significance in the study of gravitational theory and gravitational waves.

2. Strong magnetic field

Neutron stars have a strong magnetic field, which is millions of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field, hence the name "magnetic star". This strong magnetic field interacts strongly with the surrounding matter and may even affect the generation and emission of electromagnetic radiation. Due to the huge magnetic field of neutron stars, studying its properties will help us understand the electromagnetic radiation phenomena of other celestial bodies in the universe and magnetohydrodynamics.

3. Rapid rotation

Neutron stars have extremely high rotation speeds, and their rotation periods can vary from a few milliseconds to tens of milliseconds. Some neutron stars can even rotate hundreds of times per second. This rapid rotation may be related to their formation process, or it may be due to the balance between mass transfer, rotation loss and rotation gain. For us, understanding the rotation properties of neutron stars is of great significance, which can help us better study stellar evolution and a series of phenomena caused by rotation, such as pulsars.

4. Gravitational lensing

The gravitational field of a neutron star is so strong that light bends when passing near it, forming a lens-like phenomenon, which is called the gravitational lens effect. When light from a distant star passes near a neutron star, due to the neutron star's strong gravitational field, the light bends, as if the light passes through a lens. This phenomenon was first predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1936. However, it was not until 1979 that astronomers observed this phenomenon for the first time. The gravitational lens effect not only allows us to observe stars that were originally obscured, but also helps us understand the structure and evolution of the universe. By observing the gravitational lens effect, we can calculate the mass, radius and rotation speed of neutron stars.

In addition, the gravitational lens effect can also help us search for dark matter and dark energy in the universe. Dark matter and dark energy are among the most mysterious substances in the universe, and they account for the vast majority of the mass of the universe. However, since they do not emit or absorb electromagnetic radiation, we cannot observe them directly. However, by observing the gravitational lens effect, we can indirectly understand the distribution and properties of dark matter and dark energy. The gravitational lens effect of neutron stars is an amazing cosmic phenomenon that opens a window for us to understand the universe. Through the study of the gravitational lens effect, we can better understand the composition and evolution of the universe and uncover more mysteries of the universe.

5. Gravitational wave sources

Neutron stars emit gravitational waves when they rotate or collide with other celestial bodies, and become detectable gravitational wave sources. The detection of gravitational waves from neutron stars can help us verify the general theory of relativity and gravitational wave theory, and provide us with more clues to understand the universe.

The extremely strong gravitational field of neutron stars causes their movement and interaction in the universe to produce gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are a type of space-time ripples that can reveal a lot of important information in the universe, including the origin of the universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, etc. First of all, the gravitational wave source of neutron stars can reveal the origin of the universe. The Big Bang theory believes that the universe originated from an extremely hot and dense state, which is called a singularity. When the singularity exploded, the universe began to expand, and in the process of expansion, celestial bodies such as galaxies and stars were formed. The gravitational wave source of neutron stars can help us understand the history of the expansion of the universe and the distribution of matter in the universe.

Secondly, gravitational wave sources from neutron stars can help us study the formation and evolution of galaxies. Galaxies are huge systems composed of a large number of stars, gas, and dust. The gravitational wave sources from neutron stars can reveal the movement and interaction of stars in galaxies, as well as the merger and evolution of galaxies.

Finally, the gravitational wave sources of neutron stars can also help us study the evolution of stars. The life of a star can be divided into multiple stages, including the main sequence stage, the red giant stage, the supernova stage, etc. The gravitational wave sources of neutron stars can reveal the properties and evolution of stars in different stages. Therefore, the study of the gravitational wave sources of neutron stars will help us better understand the nature of the universe and our place in the universe. (Picture from the Internet)

Author | Kiwi

Graduated from Lincoln University, New Zealand, with a major in finance. Has a strong interest in popular science knowledge and has published popular science articles in many popular science journals. Focuses on facts and actively explores cutting-edge technology.