Superfluidity discovered at the core of a neutron star

2011/04/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

At the core of the neutron star Cassiopeia A, two groups of astronomers - on the one hand, the group of Dany Page (Mexico) and, on the other, astronomers Wynn Ho (England) and Craig Hennke (Hennke (Canada) in collaboration. This means that the core matter of the star does not present any resistance when moving. This physical state of matter is very rare on Earth, but according to this discovery it may be customary in the nuclei of neutron stars.

The star temperature has been the key, X-rays have discovered that the star cools very quickly: 2.12 million kelvin to 2.04 million kelvin within ten years. The only cause of this cooling can be the coupling of neutrons by pairs, which produce superfluidity in matter. Page considers that within a few decades will slow the cooling of the star Cassiopeia As the speed of formation of pairs of neutrons decreases.