Science Colloquium
Neutron Stars on Fire
Andrew Cumming
McGill University
Thursday, March 9, 2006
12:00 - 12:50 PM
Johnson Room 20
Neutron stars are the most compact stars we know, denser than an atomic nucleus, and only 10 km in radius. These exotic objects provide a unique opportunity to study the physics of matter under extreme conditions of density, temperature, and gravity. In this talk, I will discuss neutron stars accreting hydrogen and helium from a companion star in a binary system. The captured gas builds up on the neutron star surface and burns explosively, giving a bright burst of X-rays every few hours. These X-ray bursts offer a unique chance to observe the neutron star directly. I will describe the observations, how we can use them to measure the neutron star spin and magnetic field, and probe inside the neutron star core.
