3 ms·
> Most current models propose that young and hot neutron stars have an atmosphere of metal plasma. How could any atmosphere exist in gravity that strong?
by dataflow 2y ago
> Most current models propose that young and hot neutron stars have an atmosphere of metal plasma.
How could any atmosphere exist in gravity that strong?
- adastra22 2y agoHot. The atmosphere might be only a few mm thick though.
- dataflow 2y agoAh gosh, that's not what I would call an atmosphere. Cool though! (well, hot)
- adastra22 2y agoWell, it’s a neutron star. Mt Everest on a neutron star might be 3 mm tall. Distances don’t really mean the same thing though as matter is compressed down below the Pauli electron repulsion regime into direct nuclear contact. Dragon’s Egg is a great sci-fi book that explores what life on such a world might be like.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- jiggawatts 2y agoI can second that book recommendation! Dragons Egg is one of the best hard science fiction books ever written.
- lazide 2y agoMy analogy would be - Normal matter is like expected personal space in Finland. Everyone maintains a respectful distance, and they like it that way. Sometimes no one sees another human up close for days, let alone actually does anything resembling ‘touch’. Neutron stars are like a giant coked up swinger orgy pile. Sometimes you can’t even tell where one person begins, and the next one ends, and certainly no one cares much anyway.