neutron
-
Physics
Neutron scattering reveals the helical magnetic structure of layered perovskites
Single crystal neutron diffraction using instrument D9. Credit: Communications Materials Combining electrical and magnetic properties in a promising way, multi-ferlock materials are at the heart of new solutions for data storage, data transmission, and quantum computers. On the other hand, understanding the origin of such properties at the fundamental level is key to developing applications, with neutrons being the ideal…
Read More » -
Physics
Neutron star measurements put limits on color superconductivity in dense quark matter
Ground-based radio telescopes, gravitational wave detectors, and space-based X-ray telescopes (right) all measure neutron stars (top left, showing mergers) and pairings of differently colored quarks in dense matter (bottom left). ). ). Credit: Rachel Steinhorst, NASA/Roscosmos, California Institute of Technology/MIT/LIGO Lab At very high densities, quarks are expected to form pairs, similar to electrons in superconductors. This behavior of dense…
Read More » -
Science
Neutron star “mountains” will cause ripples in space-time
The gravitational pull from the fast-spinning neutron star mountains creates ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) searches for such waves. Credit: Charles Horowitz The collapsed dead stars known as neutron stars are a trillion times denser than lead, and their surfaces are poorly characterized. Nuclear theorists have investigated the mountain-building mechanisms at work…
Read More » -
Physics
Improved spin-density correlation simulations give researchers clearer insight into neutron stars
Neutrinos travel through a gas of neutrons and are sensitive to the correlation between the spin and density of the neutronic material. These correlations determine how much energy is transferred from the neutrino to the neutron. Credit: Dean Lee When a star dies in a supernova, its remains can become a neutron star. Inside a neutron star, protons and electrons…
Read More » -
Physics
Accessing little-known nucleons: New neutron measurements help physicists learn about nucleon structure and spin
Central neutron detector installed in Experiment Hall B. Sylvia Nicolai and her team from the Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLab), a joint research unit of the CNRS in Orsay, France, and her team at the Université Paris-Saclay and the Université de la Ville de Paris, are collaborating with the French National Construction of the detector began in 2011 with funding from the…
Read More » -
Space & Cosmos
Physicists show that neutron stars may be covered in axion clouds
Axion cloud around a neutron star. Although some axions escape the star’s gravity, many remain bound to the star and form clouds that surround it for long periods of time. Interaction with the neutron star’s strong magnetic field converts some axions into photons, or light that can eventually be detected by telescopes on Earth. Credit: University of Amsterdam A team…
Read More »