Neutron Stars  

In General > s.a. astrophysics; matter.
* Idea: Proposed by Zwicky in 1934; Thought to be the most compact form of matter other than black holes.
* Formation: As a result of supernova explosions; In some cases, a pulsar results.
* With hyperons: At the high-density end, some matter may be in the form of hyperons; At higher densities, baryons melt into a quark plasma.
@ General references: Hartle & Thorne ApJ(68), ApJ(69); Hartle ApJ(70), PRP(78); Burrows PT(87)sep [birth]; Ipser & Lindblom PRL(89); Kutschera APPB(98)ap-ln; Bildsten & Strohmayer PT(99)feb; Bignami pw(03)sep [and X-ray astronomy]; Silbar & Reddy AJP(04)jul-nt/03; Lattimer & Prakash Sci(04)ap [rev]; Chamel & Haensel LRR(08)-a0812 [neutron star crusts]; Lai et al a0902-rp; > s.a. QCD.
@ Models: Friedman et al ApJ(86); Berti et al MNRAS(05) [rotating, comparisons]; Sagert et al EJP(06)ap/05 [equation of state, masses, radii]; Carter et al GRG(06)gq/05 [dynamics of (magneto)-elastic solid]; van den Heuvel AIP(07)-a0704 [two different formation mechanisms]; Piekarewicz AIP(09)-a0901 [nuclear physics]; Ozel & Psaltis a0905/PRD [equation of state and astrophysical observations]; Marranghello et al JPCS-a0910 [collapse from hadron-quark phase transition]; > s.a. modified lorentz group.
@ Binaries: Piran SA(95)may; > s.a. computational physics [astrophysics].
@ Hyperon content: Lackey et al PRD(06)ap/05; Weber & Rosenfield ap/07-in.
@ Related topics: Friedman & Ipser ApJ(87) [maximum mass]; Sedrakian et al MNRAS(97)ap [superconductivity]; Ferrari & Kokkotas PRD(00)gq [particle scattering]; Chakrabarty ASS(07)ap/06 [upper limit on B field strength]; > s.a. modified newtonian dynamics [in TeVeS].

Pulsars > s.a. tests of general relativity with orbits.
* History: The first one was observed in 1967 (1.337 sec); About 500 known by 1990, about 1800 by 2008.
* Idea: Fast rotating neutron stars, in which a magnetic field channels their radiation into a beam, producing a "lighthouse effect" that is observed as pulsed radiation.
* Binary pulsars: The system discovered by Taylor & Hulse led to the first confirmation of energy loss by gravitational wave emission; New system discovered in 2003, J0737–3039, has 2 pulsars, a shorter orbital period and orbital diameter 700,000 km, and a periastron advance of 17º/yr, the largest observed, and provides the best test so far of general relativity predictions [@ news S&T(05)mar].
* Note: The 0.5 ms pulsar thought to have been observed as a remnant of SN 1987A turned out not to be there [@ news Sci(90)feb; Nat(91)feb].
@ General references: ter Haar PRP(72); Shaham SA(87)feb; Lorimer PW(96); issue Nat(04)apr; Cordes et al NAR(04)ap/05 [and SKA results]; Lyne & Kramer pw(05)mar, news Nat(06)sep [and tests of general relativity]; Kadomsev & Nomerotsky 09.
@ msec pulsars: Backer et al Nat(82)dec; Backer & Kulkarni PT(90)mar; Rech(91)jul/aug; Lorimer LRR(01)–LRR(05)–LRR(08); Kiziltan & Thorsett AIP-a0905 [and low-mass X-ray binaries].
@ Binary pulsar: (and tests of general relativity) Kleppner PT(93)apr; Taylor RMP(94) [Nobel lecture]; Freire et al MNRAS(01)ap/00 [orbit]; van Straten et al Nat(01)ap; Stairs LRR(03) [timing]; Kramer et al ap/05-in, news pw(06)sep; Kramer et al CQG(09) [rev].
@ Equation of state: Friedman, Ipser & Parker PRL(89); Shapiro et al Nat(89)aug, Haensel & Zdunik Nat(89)aug [msec pulsar]; Lattimer & Schutz ApJ(05)ap/04 [double pulsar and moment of inertia].
@ Related topics: Dong a0812 [and navigation systems]; > s.a. gravitational radiation, background and sources; tests of lorentz symmetry.


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