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Stars

Neutron Stars and Pulsars

What is the environment like around a neutron star?

The gravitational well of a neutron star is pretty steep. The effect on spacetime near the surface of a neutron star is therefore significant; objects in the sky would look distorted and displaced, and their colors would be gravitationally redshifted. If matter falls onto a neutron star, what happens is very similar to matter falling onto a black hole: the material does not disappear forever, but it certainly gets very hot, and can glow with X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, and radio waves. If the neutron star is spinning as well, then a magnetic field billions of times stronger than Earth’s can be created, causing highly energetic and radiative effects.



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