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5 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Neutron Stars |
-extremely small, extraordinarily massive -composed purely of neutrons -neutron degeneracy prevents collapsing -rotates extremely rapidly -have very strong magnetic fields |
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Pulsars |
-is a rapidly spinning neutron star that has a mechanism to beam radiation -mechanism isn't sully understood, but is connected with strong magnetic fields -some are extremely stable making them the most accurate clock in the world |
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Pulsars: Lighthouse Model |
-2 "hot spots" at the poles of the magnetosphere change particles to extremely high energies so that they emit radiation -the star then spins and the beam sweeps outward (like lights on a lighthouse) |
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Neutron Stars and Pulsars |
-all pulsars are neutron stars but not all neutron stars are pulsars 1. rotation and magnetic fields diminish over time- pulsars usually gradually diminish 2. vantage point- if the earth isn't in the path of the lighthouse we will not see the pulsing behaviour |
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Ideas |
1. every high mass star dies in a supernova 2. most supernova (type 2) leave a neutron star behind (very large ones may end up in a black hole) 3. all young neutron stars emit radiation |
