Nuclear pasta
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
A star with a mass similar to the Sun may form a neutron star with a diameter of around 20 km. The surface of such a neutron star is modelled as consisting of a form of iron 10,000 times as dense as iron on Earth and beneath the surface is a mantle-like layer of liquid neutrons. The layers of the inner crust of neutron stars can undergo a series of transitions between different nuclear structures; the resemblance of these structures to spaghetti and lasagne has led researchers to refer to them as ‘nuclear pasta’.
References
Nuclear pasta
S. Arnold, Getting Started in Radio Astronomy: Beginner Projects for the Amateur, New York, NY, Springer, 2014, p. 27
W. G. Newton, Neutron stars: A taste of pasta? Nature Physics, vol. 9, no. 7, 2013, pp. 396-397, p. 397
O. Wright, Gallery of whispers. Physics World, vol. 25, no. 02, 2012, pp. 31-36, p. 33
