Related papers: The Gravitational Constant, the Chandrasekhar Limi…
In General Relativity there is a maximum mass allowed for neutron stars that, if exceeded, entails their collapse into a black hole. Its precise value depends on details of the nuclear matter equation of state about which we are much more…
Recent high-redshift Type Ia supernovae results can be used to set new bounds on a possible variation of the gravitational constant $G$. If the local value of $G$ at the space-time location of distant supernovae is different, it would…
A newly discovered instability in rotating neutron stars, driven by gravitational radiation reaction acting on the stars' $r$-modes, is shown here to set an upper limit on the spin rate of young neutron stars. We calculate the timescales…
The determination of neutron star masses is reviewed in light of a new measurement of 1.97 M$_\odot$ for PSR J1614-2230 and an estimate of 2.4 M$_\odot$ for the black widow pulsar. Using a simple analytic model related to the so-called…
The magnetic fields of neutron stars have a large range (~3e10 - 1e15 G). There may be a tendency for more highly magnetized neutron stars to come from more massive stellar progenitors, but other factors must also play a role. When combined…
Observations of pulsar glitches may provide insights on the internal physics of neutron stars and recent studies show how it is in principle possible to constrain pulsar masses with timing observations. The reliability of these estimates…
General properties of neutron stars are briefly reviewed with an emphasis on the indispensability of general relativity in our understanding of these fascinating objects. In Newtonian gravity the pressure within a star merely plays the role…
Radio observations of neutron star binary pulsar systems have constrained strongly the masses of eight neutron stars. Assuming neutron star masses are uniformly distributed between lower and upper bounds $m_l$ and $m_u$, the observations…
The limiting mass is a significant characteristic for compact exotic stars. In the case of quark stars, the limiting mass can be expressed in terms of fundamental constants and the Bag constant. In the present work, using bag model…
We analyze the currently available observations of X-ray binaries in a consistent way, to re-determine the masses of the neutron stars in these systems. In particular, our attention is focussed on a realistic and consistent assessment of…
A recent spectroscopic analysis of central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) claims that the sample includes five CSPNe with masses very close to the Chandrasekhar limit of white dwarfs. This claim should be verified or discarded from the…
The discovery of two neutron stars with gravitational masses $\approx 2~M_\odot$ has placed a strong lower limit on the maximum mass of nonrotating neutron stars, and with it a strong constraint on the properties of cold matter beyond…
The stellar equilibrium and collapse, including mainly white dwarfs, neutron stars and supper massive stars, is an interplay between general relativistic effects and the equation of state of nuclear matter. In the present work, we use the…
Observational identification of black holes as members of binary systems requires the knowledge of the upper limit on the gravitational mass of a neutron star. We use modern equations of state for neutron star matter, fitted to experimental…
Many physically motivated extensions to general relativity (GR) predict significant deviations in the properties of spacetime surrounding massive neutron stars. We report the measurement of a 2.01 +/- 0.04 solar mass pulsar in a 2.46-hr…
Pulsars are among the most mysterious astrophysical objects in the Universe and are believed to be rotating neutron stars formed in supernova explosions. They are unique testing grounds of dense matter theories and gravitational physics and…
Pulsars are rotating neutron stars that are renowned for their timing precision, although glitches can interrupt the regular timing behavior when these stars are young. Glitches are thought to be caused by interactions between normal and…
As is well known, there are various mass limits for compact stars. For example, the maximum mass for non-rotating white dwarfs is given by the famous Chandrasekhar limit about $1.4 M_\odot$ (solar masses). Although the mass limit for…
A hypothetical time-variation of the gravitational constant $G$ would cause neutron star matter to depart from beta equilibrium, due to the changing hydrostatic equilibrium. This forces non-equilibrium beta processes to occur, which release…
For many years it was felt that, when a star collapsed, a white dwarf resulted if the mass of the original star was below the Chandrasekhar limit, a neutron star if the mass was somewhat larger but still less than four or five solar masses,…