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[Darvi]

I'd always heard that a neutron star is basically one giant neutron.

Lolwut.


They are made of the stuff. Billions of them. But one hugeass one? No way.

3.7×10¹⁷ to 5.9×10¹⁷ kg/m³

Whoa, now that's dense,

[Virex]

wiki says it's the "Pauli exclusion principle"

EDIT: damn ninjas!

Yep, the high gravity is trying to push everything into the same spot, but two neutron's can't be at the same place at the same time. So there's an upper limit to how small a neutron star can get without converting it's neutrons into something more exotic.


Also, trying to push so much matter togheter is like taking entropy and sticking it in a blender. It'll get very pissed at you and as soon as gravity allows it it'll strike back

[Starver]

I'd always heard that a neutron star is basically one giant neutron.

Lolwut.


They are made of the stuff. Billions of them. But one hugeass one? No way.

I think "one big atom" is indeed more apt.  ¹²C is 6 protons and 6 neutrons.  ²³⁸U is 92 protons and 146 neutrons.  Hydrogen, Deuterium and Tritium (¹H, ²H and ³H) each have one proton but also 0, 1 or 2 neutrons, respectively.  A neutron star would be ^ahelluvalot? with zero protons[1] and ahelluvalot neutrons.

You're talking about one of the exotic low-energy forms of matter (BEC?) where the 'whole' is an indistinguishable amorphous mass, and there's going to be too much energy within the neutron star to allow that to happen.  OTOH, a true singularities could be considered a giant (by mass, not volume) particle, I suppose, with its spin/mass/charge properties dictated to by the sum of the source material for it.  Whichever way, we're not looking at anything like Jumbonium...


[1] Near as damnit, if for any reason there was an electron sufficiency or some other odd imbalance.

[Darvi]

I think "one big atom" is indeed more apt.

Great. Now you got me imagining a neutron star with planets orbiting around it like electrons x3

[Starver]

Great. Now you got me imagining a neutron star with planets orbiting around it like electrons x3

Naw, that'd have to be a Proton Star with an Electron Planet.  And I wouldn't like to deal with the issue of the cyclotron radiation (and short-lived orbit!) from such a system.  But, hey, you'd soon have yourself a neutron star with no electron planets at all around it, right?   

[Il Palazzo]

Also, trying to push so much matter togheter is like taking entropy and sticking it in a blender. It'll get very pissed at you and as soon as gravity allows it it'll strike back

If I were a physics teacher, I'd totally use this during my classes.

[ChairmanPoo]

Since this is the thread for dubious scientific statements, I guess I might as well share this here:

From another forum, a guy commenting on the Fukushima nuclear plant incident. "Radiation splits our atoms, so I am afraid there will be more victims".

[Darvi]

Only beta and alpha radiation. I think. And even then only under specific circumstances.

[Virex]

I think beta-electrons are going too fast to actually undergo K-capture and I don't think they can actually cause fission or transmutation by hitting the nucleus head-on. Not that it'd really matters, because the amount of electrons that actual hits a nucleus for any amount of non-lethal beta radiation can best be described as homeopathic.
As for alpha radiation, I doubt it'd get through the electron shells surrounding an atom. Instead it'd cause a rapid cascade of ionization, which is just as nasty as it sounds, but luckily the outer layer of your skin is dead so it won't mind anyway.

[Darvi]

Never mind that they both get blocked by walls anyway. Really the only radiation to worry about are gamma rays.

[ChairmanPoo]

Ionizing radiation in general, rather. (Which would include alpha and beta radiation)

The point is the inherent sillyness of "Radiation is bad because it splits our atoms". I found it funny and decided to share it here, only it was not quite suited to the "happy" thread, and it was too light hearted for the fukishima thread

[Il Palazzo]

That's some bad radiation.

[Starver]

To get back to the warning that I received. You may take it with however many clicks of geiger that you wish. That the brown radiation that is circulating around us isn't too good. It is suggested that you stay away from that. Of course it's your own disaster zone. So be my guest, but please be advised that there is a warning on that one, ok?

[MonkeyHead]

Also, trying to push so much matter togheter is like taking entropy and sticking it in a blender. It'll get very pissed at you and as soon as gravity allows it it'll strike back

If I were a physics teacher, I'd totally use this during my classes.

I am one, and I do.