Starquakes Reveal Secrets of Matter in the Universe’s Most Dense Stars

This study connects astronomy and nuclear physics, paving the way for advancements in health, security, and energy. Scientists are studying “starquakes” in neutron stars to gain insights into these dense remnants. Led by the University of Bath, the study suggests these cosmic tremors could reshape our understanding of neutron stars and nuclear matter.

By using asteroseismology, researchers challenge current theories, which could have future practical applications.

An international team, including Dr. David Tsang and Dr. Duncan Neill from Bath, collaborated with experts from Texas A&M and Ohio University. Their findings, published in Physical Review C, show how starquakes can test nuclear theories under extreme conditions.

Practical Impacts: Health, Security, and Energy

The study’s findings could lead to benefits in several areas:

• Health: Enhancing techniques like radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging.
• National Security: Improving the safety of nuclear weapon maintenance and development.
• Nuclear Energy: Advancing nuclear energy by improving reactor safety and efficiency.

Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars that collapsed under their own gravity, creating the densest matter in the universe. Studying their extreme conditions can provide insights into the fundamental nature of matter that Earth-bound experiments cannot.

Chiral Effective Field Theory is a leading method for modeling nuclear matter under these extreme conditions. Testing its predictions ensures its consistency with real-world physics.

Measuring neutron stars from Earth is challenging, so scientists often focus on their broad characteristics. This limits the ability to test specific theories about their internal structure.

“We believe that asteroseismology could provide granular details about matter inside neutron stars and test theories like Chiral Effective Field Theory,” said Dr. Tsang, co-author of the study.

Duncan Neill added, “The asteroseismic techniques we propose use existing instruments, expanding nuclear physics tools without requiring expensive new technologies.”

As the research progresses, asteroseismology may reveal properties of matter within neutron stars, allowing astronomy to guide the development of new nuclear physics techniques. The team at Bath plans to expand this research to explore how much it can uncover.

Read Original Article: Scitechdaily

Read More: Chance of a Tunguska-Level Impact in 2032 Has Now Doubled