"A neutron star is the collapsed core of a massive star. It is so dense that just a teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh over a billion tons on Earth." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
"Imagine a city the size of New York squeezed into a sphere only 6 miles across. That's the density of a neutron star." - Michio Kaku
Summary[]
Neutron stars are the extremely dense, collapsed remnants left behind after a massive star runs out of fuel and explodes in a cataclysmic supernova event. During the final stages of a large star's life cycle, nuclear fusion in the core can no longer counteract the immense gravitational forces, causing the core to suddenly implode. This sudden gravitational collapse compresses the matter so intensely that the protons and electrons are squeezed together, forming a state of matter dominated by neutrons.
The resulting neutron star is an object of unimaginable density. Packed into a sphere typically only around 20 kilometers (12 miles) in diameter is a mass comparable to or even greater than our Sun. This makes neutron stars among the most dense objects in the known universe - a single teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh over a billion tons on Earth. The gravitational acceleration at the surface of a neutron star can be millions of times greater than on Earth, so strong that it would crush anything attempting to land on it.
In addition to their extreme density, neutron stars also have incredibly powerful magnetic fields, often millions to trillions of times stronger than Earth's. These magnetic fields can strip the iron from the blood of any object that ventures too close. Some neutron stars also spin extremely rapidly, with the fastest known examples rotating hundreds of times per second.
Depending on their spin, magnetic field, and other properties, neutron stars can manifest as various types of exotic astronomical objects, including pulsars, magnetars, and X-ray binaries. By studying these strange celestial phenomena, scientists gain unique insights into the physics of matter under the most extreme conditions imaginable, from the behavior of matter at nuclear densities to the nature of gravity and spacetime.
Neutron stars represent the final evolutionary stage for massive stars, the last gasp before a complete gravitational collapse into a black hole. As such, these dense stellar remnants provide invaluable information about stellar lifecycles, nuclear physics, and the evolution of the universe as a whole. Though small in size, neutron stars continue to captivate astronomers and the public alike as some of the most extreme and fascinating objects in space.
General Information, Powers, Abilities, and Statistics[]
Tier: 7-B, High 5-A, 4-B Possibly 4-A Variable, Higher If CCO, Higher If Recycled Pulsar, Higher If X-ray Binaries Higher If Millisecond Pulsars, Higher If Pulsar, Far Higher If Magnetars
Name: Neutron Stars, Variable (Different Neutron Stars Have Different Names)
Origin: Real World/Real Life
Gender: Inapplicable
Age: Variable (Like Name Different Neutron Stars Have Different Ages)
Classification: Dense Cores Of Stars After A Supernova
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Self-Sustenance ( Type 1, 2 And 3 They Are Not Alive Hence Why They Have This Ability) Gravity Manipulation And Magnetism Manipulation, Radiation Manipulation, Large Size (Between 2 And 3), (They Release Different Types Of Radiation Like X-rays, gamma rays, radio waves, and occasionally visible light), Matter Manipulation And Space-Time Manipulation (In Binary Systems), Statistics Amplification (Via Glitches)
Attack Potency: City Level (They Are Around This Size), Small Dwarf Star Level, Solar System Level (They Are Strong Enough To Destroy Every Thing In The System), Possibly Multi Solar System Level (To Strong To Have A Collsion With A Star That Could Cause A Hypernova), Higher If CCO, Higher If Recycled Pulsar, Higher If X-ray Binaries Higher If Millisecond Pulsars, Higher If Pulsar, Far Higher If Magnetars
Speed: Hypersonic+ To Massively Hypersonic To Sub Relativistic (Rotation)
Lifting Strength: Unknown
Striking Strength:City Level, Small Dwarf Star Level, Solar System Level, Possibly Multi Solar System Level, Higher If CCO, Higher If Recycled Pulsar, Higher If X-ray Binaries Higher If Millisecond Pulsars, Higher If Pulsar, Far Higher If Magnetars
Durability:City Level, Small Dwarf Star Level, Solar System Level, Possibly Multi Solar System Level, Higher If CCO, Higher If Recycled Pulsar, Higher If X-ray Binaries Higher If Millisecond Pulsars, Higher If Pulsar, Far Higher If Magnetars
Stamina: Inexhaustible
Range: Hundreds of kilometers To Thousands of kilometers
Standard Equipment: None
Intelligence: Non-Sentient
Weaknesses: Despite Popular Belief (I Think) Neutron Stars Have Many Weakness's
Weakness's[]
Cooling and loss of energy: Neutron stars initially possess extremely high temperatures, but over time they cool down. They lose energy through various processes, including thermal radiation and the emission of particles like neutrinos. As they cool, neutron stars transition from being highly luminous X-ray sources to emitting predominantly radio waves. While this cooling process occurs over a very long timescale, it eventually leads to a decrease in observable radiation from the neutron star.
Susceptibility to collapse: Despite their immense gravitational forces, neutron stars can still be susceptible to further collapse if additional mass is added to them. Depending on the mass of the neutron star, there is a theoretical upper limit beyond which it would collapse further, forming a black hole. This limit, known as the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit, is estimated to be around 2-3 times the mass of the Sun. If a neutron star were to exceed this limit, it would no longer be stable as a neutron star.
Fragility of the crust: Neutron stars have a solid outer crust composed of extremely dense and solidified atomic nuclei, known as neutron star crust. This crust is only a few centimeters thick but supports the weight of the entire star. However, the crust is highly rigid and can be susceptible to cracking or fracturing due to internal stresses or external disturbances, such as impacts with other celestial objects or intense magnetic fields. These fractures can result in seismic activity known as starquakes, releasing immense amounts of energy in the form of gamma-ray bursts.