Neutron Star Collision

Maybe my love for Muse’s song “Neutron Star Collision” is to blame, but I cannot help but find myself absolutely fascinated by neutron stars. There is something just so poetic about them even in their mere definition. They are what some of the most massive and luminous stars leave behind them when they die. After living fast and dying young, a neutron star is the relatively permanent mark left on the universe by a star with an otherwise short lifespan. It’s the dark reminder of what was once so great. 

They’re incredibly mysterious. These remains were once more theory than fact, and are now detectable from earth as pulsars with the radio waves they emit. Still they are not always detectable in this way. The axis and magnetic field have to situated just right so that the radio waves are beamed toward earth. In the cases of binaries, some that are not pulsars can still be detected by their gravitational influence. 

And what if two neutron stars do collide? They could also be the key to verifying the same theory that explains black holes, weaves time into the fabric of space, and holds time travel possible. In perhaps one of the most dramatic catastrophic collisions the universe has experienced since the big bang, they could send off strong gravitational waves. These waves otherwise too weak to be detected would secure Einstein’s theory of General Relativity in unprecedented ways (Naeye). 

Regardless of the the theory that predicts their behavior, they are wonderful sparks for the imagination. A lack of knowledge of such entities or the courage to “what if” is exactly what inspires the type of beauty found in the opening chords of Muse’s song. My mind could ponder them for days.

-Angela




1) Naeye, Robert. "New Binary Neutron Star Will Test Einstein - News from Sky & Telescope." SkyandTelescope.com. 12 Dec. 2003. Web. 24 May 2011. <http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/3308446.html> 

Photo Courtesy of Angela. Definition quoted from The Essential Cosmic Perspective, 4th Edition by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit, Addison-Wesley, Inc. (2010).