Related papers: Whispers from the edge of physics
Neutron stars contain matter in one of the densest forms found in the Universe. This feature, together with the unprecedented progress in observational astrophysics, makes such stars superb astrophysical laboratories for a broad range of…
Surface asymmetries of accreting neutron stars are investigated for their mass quadrupole moment content. Though the amplitude of the gravitational waves from such asymmetries seem to be beyond the limit of detectability of the present…
Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron stars, that radiate at the expense of their strong magnetic field and their high surface temperature. Five decades of multi-wavelength observations showed a large variety of physical parameters, such as…
As the era of gravitational-wave astronomy has well and truly begun, gravitational radiation from rotating neutron stars remains elusive. Rapidly spinning neutron stars are the main targets for continuous-wave searches since, according to…
Neutron stars enable us to study both the highest densities and the highest magnetic fields in the known Universe. In this article I review what can be learned about such fundamental physics using magnetar bursts. Both the instability…
It is generally agreed on that the tremendous densities reached in the centers of neutron stars provide a high-pressure environment in which numerous novel particles processes are likely to compete with each other. These processes range…
In the past four decades a new type of astronomy has emerged, where instead of looking up into the sky "telescopes" are buried miles underground or deep under water or ice and search not for photons (that is, light), but rather for…
Low-energy neutrinos from the cosmic background are captured by objects in the sky that contain material susceptible of single beta decay. Neutrons, which compose most of a neutron star, capture low-energy neutrinos from the cosmic neutrino…
Spinning neutron stars can emit long-lived gravitational waves. There are several mechanisms that can produce such continuous wave emission. These mechanisms relate to the strains in the elastic crust, the star's magnetic field,…
The unknown state of matter at ultra-high density, large proton/neutron number asymmetry, and low temperature is a major long-standing problem in modern physics. Neutron stars provide the only known setting in the Universe where matter in…
Neutrons travel along straight lines in free space, but only survive for a distance which depends on their energy. Thus, detecting neutrons in space in principle provides directional and distance information. Apart from secondary neutrons…
White dwarfs are a class of stars with unique physical properties. They present many challenging problems whose solution requires the application of advanced theories of dense matter, state-of-the-art experimental techniques, and extensive…
Neutron stars are a very diverse population, both in their observational and their physical properties. They prefer to radiate most of their energy at X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. But whether their emission is powered by rotation,…
The merger of two neutron stars is a very complex process. In order to disentangle the various steps through which it takes place it is mandatory to examine all the signals we can detect: gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves, in a…
We review the prospects for probing new physics with neutrino astrophysics. High energy neutrinos provide an important means of accessing physics beyond the electroweak scale. Neutrinos have a number of advantages over conventional…
Neutrino astrophysics offers new perspectives on the Universe investigation: high energy neutrinos, produced by the most energetic phenomena in our Galaxy and in the Universe, carry complementary (if not exclusive) information about the…
Observations of thermal radiation from neutron stars can potentially provide information about the states of supranuclear matter in the interiors of these stars with the aid of the theory of neutron-star thermal evolution. We review the…
The neutrino deficits observed in four solar neutrino experiments, relative to the theoretical predictions, have led to fresh insights into neutrino and solar physics. Neutrino emission from distant, energetic astronomical systems may form…
Highly magnetized neutron stars are promising candidates to explain some of the most peculiar astronomical phenomena, for instance, fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, and superluminous supernovae. Pulsations of these highly magnetized…
Neutron stars are not observed to spin faster than about half their breakup rate. This limiting rotational frequency may be related to the strength of their crusts. As a star spins up from accretion, centrifugal forces stress the crust. We…