How Heavy Can a Neutron Star Get?
Researchers at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics have proposed a new limit for the mass of a neutron star. By utilizing two distinct nuclear matter models and quantum chromodynamics, they estimate the threshold between a neutron star and a black hole is between 2.2 and 2.3 solar masses.
Why it matters
Understanding the mass limit of neutron stars is fundamental to astrophysics, as it helps define the lifecycle of stars and the behavior of matter under extreme density.
The physics of neutron stars are almost too fantastic to believe. Something the weight of two Suns compacted to a sphere the size of a city. Each teaspoon of its material would weigh billions of tons. If you’ve done any reading on the topic, you’ve heard these facts before. But despite the intense interest these extreme objects hold, we are still actively learning lots about them. One of the most pertinent outstanding questions is where is the line between becoming a neutron star and becoming a black hole when a star dies. A new paper by researchers at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Hungary describes what they believe to be a definitive answer to that question - between 2.2 and 2.3 solar masses.
The article is a straightforward report on scientific research without political or social framing.
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