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An illustration shows a neutron star, which is surrounded by green magnetic field lines in the fiery shell of Supernova wrecks from its birth. | Credit: Robert Lea (created with Canva)
In the universe there are dead stars, which are called neutron stars, and these stars gain enormously mighty magnetic fields if matter that is expelled during their explosive supernova death. Scientists say that the discovery of this dynamo-like mechanism could solve the secret of so-called “low-field magnetar”.
Magnetars are neutron stars with the strongest magnetic fields in the universe, often hundreds of trillion times stronger than the magneticosphere of the earth.
Low-Field magnetars, which were first discovered in 2010, are similar star residues that have around 10 to 100 times weaker than “classic” magnetaries. So far, their origins have been a mystery.
The team behind the new research carried out advanced numerical simulations in order to model the magnetic and thermal development of neutron stars.
This resulted in a dynamo -like process that could enable a neutron star to develop a weaker magnetic field on its surface than to see typical magnetars.
This process includes the Supernova-thrown material that falls inwards during the “Proto-Neutron star” phase of these remnants of the remnants. The result is referred to as the Tayler Spruit dynamo.
“This mechanism was theoretically proposed almost a quarter of a century ago, but it was recently reproduced with computer simulations,” said Andrei Igoshev, research team leader and scientist at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics at Newcastle University.
The birth of ‘dead stars’ is complicated
Neutron stars are generated when stars with ten times the sun mass are generated the fuel supply used for the nuclear fusion on their nuclei.
This leads to the star core, which collapses 1.4 times the sun mass (the so-called Chandrasekhar border) under its own gravity.
This places shock waves outwards into the top layer of the star and triggers a massive star explosion, which blows away these layers and most of the star mass of the star star. This explosion is referred to as core collapse Supernova.
Artistic representation of a neutron star with the densest material in the well -known universe. | Credit: University of Alicante
This leaves the core, a proto-neutron star, to become a 12-mile width rest that is so dense 10 million tons.
The quick collapse of these star nuclei also has other consequences. Like an ice skat in her arms, to increase their speed speed, the collapse of neutron star can “turn” these objects so much that some are able to turn up to 700 times a second.
In addition, the core collapse magnetic field lines forces together and thus increases the strength of the magnetic fields of the dead stars.
This leaves an extremely dense, fast -rotating, high -magnetic star residue, which is surrounded by a bowl of cast material.
However, this material can finally return to its original point, which means that the neutron star becomes even more extreme and unusual.
An illustration shows gamma rays that sprinkle from a core collapse supernova because she born a neutron star. | Credit: Robert Lea (created by Canva)
“Neutronstars are born in Supernova explosions,” said Igoshev. “Most outer layers of a massive star are removed during the supernova, but some material falls back, which turns the neutron star faster.”
Igoshev said that earlier investigations have shown that this process plays a very important role in the formation of a magnetic field through the Tayler Sprut dynamo mechanism.
It is believed that the Tayler-Sppruit-Dynamo mechanism converts the angle impulse of the influence of plasma into magnetic fields within the neutron star. This resembles the way mechanical dynamos on earth convert kinetic energy into electrical energy.
“The magnetic field formed by this mechanism is very complicated with an internal field in the star, which is much stronger than the external field,” said Igoshev.
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Igoshev now intends to found a new research group at Newcastle University in order to further investigate the powerful, complicated and mysterious magnetic fields of neutron stars.
The team’s research was published on February 4 in the magazine Nature Astronomy.