3 ms·
Interesting way of looking at it. Does it qualify as a nucleus if it doesn't have any protons tho?
by alangibson 2y ago
Interesting way of looking at it. Does it qualify as a nucleus if it doesn't have any protons tho?
- nick238 2y ago"Neutron star = nucleus" is very elided. The crust of neutron stars contains ordinary elemental matter with a density around that of a white dwarf (specific density of ~10⁶), but descending down to the core it explodes to ~10¹⁴, which is nucleus density and a little beyond. There's also the whole menagerie of nuclear pasta [1] where gnocchi and spaghetti you could maybe consider "nuclei" unto themselves. There's also waffles & lasagna, but when you get into the anti-spaghetti and anti-gnocchi realms, then you're into the "one nucleus" region. [1]: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.025803 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.025803
- indoordin0saur 2y agoA neutron star is about 20% protons.
- LeFantome 2y agoReally? Closer to the surface I imagine?
- mihaaly 2y agoJust let a single proton loose in the vicinity of a pure neutron star, wait to be attracted to it and tada, we made a super heavy and stable hydrogen isotope!
- Timwi 2y agoI do not believe that it would be stable. The proton would convert to a neutron and release an electron. If it were stable for the neutron star to have protons in or on it, then it would already have some.