[Epoch Times, 01 novembre 2022](Epoch Times reporter Linda compiled and reported) Astronomers have discovered a mysteriousNeutron starMuch lighter than previously thought, which shatters understanding of stellar physicsstellar evolutionunderstanding. Interestingly, it probably consists mostly of quarks. This new discovery could rewrite our understanding of the universe.
As detailed in a new article published Oct.24 in the journal Nature Astronomy, theNeutron starIts radius is only 6.2 miles and its mass is 77% of that of the Sun. It is much lighter than any previously studied neutron star, which typically has (at the same radius) 1.4 times the mass of the Sun.
So a team of astronomers from Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen in Germany thinks this could be a completely new type of star. The team is led by Victor Doroshenko.
“The mass estimate makes it the lightest known neutron star to date, and perhaps a more exotic object, a strange star,” the paper reads.
Neutron stars are the densest objects in the known universe and usually form after supergiants become supernovae. The star’s core would then implode, compressing its entire mass into an extremely dense object. According to scientists’ calculations, a teaspoon of neutron stars would have a mass of 2.2 trillion pounds.
The newly discovered object breaks known definitions and boundaries.
Using data obtained from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft, Doroshenko and her team found that the star was actually much closer than previously thought, allowing them to recalculate the mysterious star’s mass.
However, according to the team, the resulting mass and radius simply don’t fit the current definition of a neutron star, so it could be a ‘strange nova’.
Strange stars are hypothetical celestial bodies that are thought to be composed mainly of “strange quark”Composition, with a lower temperature and mass than a typical neutron star.
Astronomers also propose that strange stars could befast radio burst(fast radio burst), a mysterious and powerful explosion that has remained so far inexplicable.
In short, this is an extraordinary celestial object that could very well rewrite our understanding of the universe.
“Such a light neutron star, regardless of its internal composition, is extremely interesting from an astrophysical point of view,” Doroshenko and her team wrote in a statement.
Responsible editor: Ye Ziwei
