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hhhmortal
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What is the minimal mass of a neutron star, if the semi empirical mass formula is used?
clem said:If you mean the formula for the mass of a nucleus, you probably know that it doesn't apply where there are no protons.
Vanadium 50 said:Why isn't the answer "one neutron"?
Because "one neutron" is unstable ?Vanadium 50 said:Why isn't the answer "one neutron"?
humanino said:Because "one neutron" is unstable ?
A neutron is [huge]VERY[/huge] stable for strong interaction, but unstable for time scales relevant to stars, and the gravitational interaction.malawi_glenn said:an ordinary star is also unstable
Yes, and I think we all agree on that.malawi_glenn said:The thing Vanadium is pointing out is perhaps that a neutron star is an object of nucleons which is held together by gravity, thus one should not imagine a neutron star as a huge 'nuclei'
humanino said:Yes, and I think we all agree on that.
The minimal mass of a neutron star is approximately 1.4 times the mass of our Sun, or 2.8 x 10^30 kilograms.
The minimal mass of a neutron star is determined by the balance between the gravitational force pulling inwards and the neutron degeneracy pressure pushing outwards. This is known as the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit.
No, a neutron star cannot have a mass lower than the minimal mass. If it does, it will collapse into a smaller object, such as a white dwarf or a black hole.
The minimal mass of a neutron star is significantly higher than the minimal mass of a white dwarf, which is around 0.08 times the mass of our Sun. It is also much lower than the minimal mass of a black hole, which is approximately 3 times the mass of our Sun.
The minimal mass of a neutron star does not change over time. However, the mass of a neutron star can change due to accretion of matter from a companion star or through mergers with other neutron stars, but it will always remain above the minimal mass limit.