News From the Field Hotter-Than-Expected Neutron Star Surfaces Help Explain Superburst Frequency
April 13, 2007
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A new theoretical thermometer built from heavy-duty mathematics and computer code suggests that the surfaces of certain neutron stars run significantly hotter than previously expected. Hot enough, in fact, to at least partially answer an open question in astrophysics--how to explain the observed frequency of ultra violent explosions, known as superbursts, that sometimes ignite on such stars' surfaces?
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Source Michigan State University
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