3 ms·
It should be impossible. The rotational inertia of these things is absolutely insane. They’re the mass of a star! Nothing short of a very close very massive bl
by jiggawatts 2y ago
It should be impossible.
The rotational inertia of these things is absolutely insane. They’re the mass of a star! Nothing short of a very close very massive black hole could alter their spin axis quickly.
They’re also extremely symmetrical objects because of the enormous surface gravity. A “mountain” on a neutron star is about a millimeter high.
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- davidhyde 2y agoIt could be a periodic spin change caused by a large, unseen, object orbiting it. Alternatively, the angle of the cone of radiation coming from the poles might be tightening and enlarging on a cyclical basis and we may see the glancing blows as a large sector sweeps by our viewpoint. Periodic spin changes: https://sciencex.com/news/2021-09-pulse-neutron-star-decades-cyclic.html https://sciencex.com/news/2021-09-pulse-neutron-star-decades...