1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,400 Imagine shrinking down, like impossibly small, 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:04,840 just floating out in space, 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,640 and then suddenly you're like caught in this whirlpool, 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,740 right, pulled toward this glowing sphere, 5 00:00:09,740 --> 00:00:10,880 no bigger than a city. 6 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,240 And as you get closer, the pull gets so strong, 7 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,280 you realize this isn't just any star, 8 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,080 it's a neutron star, this cosmic monster 9 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:21,040 that like crams the mass of our sun 10 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,800 into an area the size of Manhattan. 11 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,520 Yeah, it's wild, isn't it? 12 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:25,840 Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod, 13 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,360 the Space and Astronomy series. 14 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,160 Please like, comment, share, and subscribe. 15 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,760 Today we're gonna do a deep dive 16 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,080 into the world of neutron stars. 17 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:36,440 That's a great way to picture it. 18 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,360 The sheer density, I mean, it's just mind boggling. 19 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,560 If you could somehow like scoop up 20 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,420 a teaspoonful of neutron star material, 21 00:00:43,420 --> 00:00:45,280 it would weigh billions of tons. 22 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:46,680 But you know, it's not just their density 23 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:47,800 that makes them so fascinating, 24 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,600 it's like their entire life cycle, 25 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:50,840 from their violent birth 26 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,960 to just the bizarre phenomena they create. 27 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,800 Okay, so let's unpack that life cycle. 28 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,600 Where do these things even come from? 29 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,060 Well, they're born from the kind of the death rows 30 00:01:01,060 --> 00:01:04,000 of giant stars, much more massive than our sun. 31 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,880 When these stars run out of fuel, their core collapses. 32 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,280 And that triggers a supernova explosion, 33 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,800 which blasts the outer layers into space. 34 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,400 So a supernova, it's not just a destructive event, 35 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,040 it's also kind of like a birth announcement 36 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:17,560 for a neutron star. 37 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,160 Exactly, what's left behind after that explosion 38 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,280 is this incredibly dense core. 39 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,100 It's been compressed by gravity 40 00:01:24,100 --> 00:01:26,240 to the point where like atoms 41 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,440 are basically crushed out of existence. 42 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,600 Protons and electrons are forced together, 43 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,120 forming this sea of neutrons, 44 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,320 hence the name neutron star. 45 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:38,240 So it's like the ultimate cosmic recycling project, right? 46 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,820 Star dies and then from its ashes rises 47 00:01:40,820 --> 00:01:43,640 this like bizarre ultra dense object. 48 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:44,560 But what happens next? 49 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,040 Do these neutron stars just sit there, you know, being dense? 50 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:47,860 Oh, not at all. 51 00:01:47,860 --> 00:01:49,960 In fact, some of them spin incredibly fast, 52 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:51,400 like hundreds of times per second. 53 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,440 We call those rapidly rotating neutron stars, 54 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:54,280 pulsars. 55 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:55,520 Wait, hundreds of times a second? 56 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,000 Why are they spinning so fast? 57 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:58,000 It's due to something called 58 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,040 the conservation of angular momentum. 59 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,400 Think of a figure skater, 60 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,360 spinning with their arms outstretched. 61 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,620 As they pull their arms in, they spin faster. 62 00:02:07,620 --> 00:02:10,680 The same principle applies to neutron stars. 63 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,520 As the core of the star collapses, 64 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,940 it shrinks dramatically and its rotation just speeds up, 65 00:02:15,940 --> 00:02:17,560 like exponentially. 66 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,560 So it's like the universe's most extreme fidget spinner. 67 00:02:21,420 --> 00:02:23,040 Okay, but why do we call them pulsars? 68 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,320 What makes them pulse? 69 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,400 Well, as these neutron stars spin, 70 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,000 they emit beams of radiation from their magnetic poles. 71 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,840 And if earth happens to be in the path of those beams, 72 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,880 we see them as like these regular pulses of light, 73 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,480 kind of like a cosmic lighthouse 74 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,360 sweeping its beam across the sea. 75 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:40,540 I'm trying to wrap my head around this, 76 00:02:40,540 --> 00:02:42,760 like a tiny ultra dense object 77 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,480 spinning hundreds of times a second 78 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,960 and shooting out beams of radiation across the galaxy. 79 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:48,960 It's like something straight out of science fiction. 80 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:50,440 It is pretty wild, isn't it? 81 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,520 And the first time these signals were detected, 82 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,600 back in 1967, astronomers were actually baffled. 83 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,560 You know, they were so precise and regular 84 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,080 that they actually thought they might be signals 85 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:00,880 from an alien civilization. 86 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,520 Seriously, they thought they had found ET. 87 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,040 Yeah, they even nicknamed the first pulsar, LGM-1, 88 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,880 which stood for Little Green Man 1. 89 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,280 That's hilarious. 90 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,540 So for a while, these incredibly dense spinning stars 91 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:16,200 were mistaken for alien beacons. 92 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:17,960 What an incredible story. 93 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:19,440 But pulsars aren't the only type 94 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,280 of neutron star out there, are they? 95 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,760 You're right, there's another even more extreme variety 96 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,160 called magnetars. 97 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:26,880 And these things take the idea 98 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,480 of a powerful magnetic field to a whole new level. 99 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,840 They're like the magnetic monsters of the cosmos. 100 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:34,980 All right, you've got me hooked. 101 00:03:34,980 --> 00:03:36,960 What makes magnetars so special? 102 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,360 Well, to put it simply, 103 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,120 they have the strongest magnetic fields 104 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,080 ever observed in the universe. 105 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,880 Trillions of times stronger than Earth's magnetic field, 106 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,820 so strong that they can actually like distort atoms 107 00:03:47,820 --> 00:03:50,040 from thousands of kilometers away. 108 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,600 I mean, imagine a magnet so strong 109 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,960 it could wipe your credit card from across the galaxy. 110 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,520 That's the kind of power we're talking about. 111 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,840 Wow, talk about contactless payment, that's insane. 112 00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,160 But seriously, what kind of effects 113 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,480 do these insane magnetic fields have? 114 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,840 Well, they cause all sorts of crazy phenomena. 115 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,200 The intense magnetic pressure 116 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,080 can actually cause the magnetars crust 117 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,000 to like buckle and shift, 118 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,960 leading to these things called starquakes 119 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,520 that release enormous amounts of energy. 120 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,960 So not only are they spinning incredibly fast, 121 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,080 but their surfaces are also cracking 122 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:19,760 and erupting with energy. 123 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,560 These things sound like ticking time bombs. 124 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,080 They can be, these starquakes release 125 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,880 these powerful bursts of gamma rays and X-rays 126 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,280 that can be detected across vast distances. 127 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:30,600 In fact, one of the most powerful bursts ever recorded 128 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,400 came from a magnetar located 50,000 light years away. 129 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,120 50,000 light years. 130 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,760 That's like a pinprick on a map of the Milky Way. 131 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,200 And we felt it here on Earth. 132 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,600 We did, it ionized Earth's upper atmosphere 133 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:43,440 for a brief period. 134 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,120 Luckily, it was far enough away 135 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,320 that it didn't cause any serious damage. 136 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,000 But if a magnetar were to erupt much closer to us, 137 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:52,200 well, it could be devastating. 138 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,920 That's both terrifying and awe-inspiring. 139 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:55,200 It really puts into perspective 140 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,600 the sheer power of these objects. 141 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:58,680 But let's shift gears a bit. 142 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,720 We've talked about neutron stars spinning alone 143 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,040 and some with these crazy magnetic fields. 144 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,080 Are there any other types 145 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:05,840 of neutron star systems out there? 146 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,280 There are, in fact, many neutron stars exist 147 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:12,160 in binary systems where they orbit around a companion star. 148 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,800 Oh, so like a cosmic dance between two stars. 149 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:15,640 Exactly. 150 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,560 And this dance can lead to some pretty interesting phenomena. 151 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,000 One example is something called an X-ray binary. 152 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,960 Okay, and that X-ray binary, what happens there? 153 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,920 So in these systems, the neutron star's intense gravity 154 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,960 pulls material off its companion star, 155 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,920 forming the swirling disk of gas and dust 156 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,200 around the neutron star. 157 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,760 So it's like the neutron star is a cosmic vampire 158 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,760 sucking the life out of its companion. 159 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:39,800 That's a good analogy. 160 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:41,960 And as this material spirals inwards, 161 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:43,720 it heats up to millions of degrees, 162 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,440 emitting powerful X-rays. 163 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,560 That sounds incredibly intense. 164 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,200 So by studying these X-ray binaries, 165 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:50,880 we can learn about the extreme physics 166 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,440 happening around neutron stars. 167 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:53,280 Exactly. 168 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:55,960 They provide valuable insights into how matter behaves 169 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,680 under incredible gravitational pressure and temperatures. 170 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,400 So we've got these solitary pulsars, 171 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,400 magnetic monsters like magnetars, 172 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:03,920 and now we're talking about neutron stars 173 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,000 in these dramatic binary systems. 174 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,320 It seems like every type of neutron star system 175 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:09,840 leads to something mind-blowing. 176 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:12,040 They really are incredible objects, 177 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,160 and their influence extends far beyond 178 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,120 the systems they inhabit. 179 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,360 In fact, neutron stars play a crucial role 180 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,840 in creating some of the heaviest elements in the universe. 181 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:23,840 Wait, you're telling me that the gold in my ring 182 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:26,280 might have come from a neutron star? 183 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:28,760 It's possible the process that creates elements heavier 184 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,640 than iron requires incredibly high temperatures 185 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,920 and pressures conditions that are found in supernova 186 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,120 explosions, and more importantly, 187 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,120 in the collisions of neutron stars. 188 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,520 Neutron star collisions, I can't even imagine. 189 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,280 These collisions called kilonovas 190 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:45,560 are some of the most energetic events in the universe. 191 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,200 Imagine two ultra-dense objects, each packing more mass 192 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,280 than our sun smashing into each other 193 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,640 at a significant fraction of the speed of light. 194 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,080 OK, now my mind is officially blown. 195 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,720 What happens in a kilonova? 196 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,200 It's pure chaos. 197 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:00,840 The collision creates a shock wave 198 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:02,760 that ripples through spacetime, generating 199 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,440 gravitational waves that we can actually 200 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:05,640 detect here on Earth. 201 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,400 So we can literally feel the echoes 202 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,320 of these cosmic collisions. 203 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,360 We can, and these collisions also 204 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,280 release an incredible burst of energy and radiation, 205 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,880 forging heavy elements like gold, platinum, and uranium. 206 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,520 These elements are then scattered throughout space, 207 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,640 eventually finding their way into new stars and planets. 208 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,600 So that gold in my ring, it might 209 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,520 have been created billions of years ago 210 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,120 in a cataclysmic collision of neutron stars. 211 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:31,320 It's not just possible. 212 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:32,440 It's highly likely. 213 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,160 Every bit of gold, platinum, and silver on Earth, 214 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,960 even the uranium that powers our nuclear reactors, 215 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,800 was forged in the heart of these cosmic explosions. 216 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,400 Wow, talk about a cosmic connection. 217 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,240 We truly are made of stardust, and some of that dust 218 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:47,800 comes from the most extreme events 219 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,400 the universe can throw at us. 220 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:50,600 It's almost poetic. 221 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,920 It is, and it highlights the interconnectedness 222 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:54,800 of everything in the cosmos. 223 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,480 These neutron stars born from the death of giant stars 224 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,280 create the building blocks for new worlds, and even life 225 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:01,280 itself. 226 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:02,520 That's an amazing thought. 227 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:03,880 But even with all we've learned, 228 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,520 it feels like there's still so much we 229 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,160 don't know about these objects. 230 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,280 What are some of the biggest mysteries surrounding 231 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:10,440 neutron stars? 232 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,640 Well, one of the biggest puzzles is what exactly 233 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,160 goes on inside them. 234 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,000 We know they're incredibly dense, 235 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,840 but the exact state of matter at their core is still a mystery. 236 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,640 Yeah, we've touched upon this exotic matter before. 237 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,840 What are the leading theories about what's happening 238 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,320 deep inside a neutron star? 239 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,880 Some scientists believe that the pressure is so intense 240 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,480 that it breaks down neutrons into their constituent 241 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,520 particles, quarks forming a sea of quark matter, 242 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,760 or what's called a quark-gluon plasma. 243 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,080 Quark-gluon plasma. 244 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:41,880 That sounds like something straight out of Star Trek. 245 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,160 It does, doesn't it? 246 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,400 This state of matter hasn't existed in the universe 247 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:46,800 since the Big Bang. 248 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,960 So if we could study it inside a neutron star, 249 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,560 it would be like looking back to the very beginning of time. 250 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:54,120 It's incredible to think that these tiny objects could 251 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,080 hold clues to the origin of the universe. 252 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:58,840 But how do we even begin to study something 253 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,600 so dense and extreme? 254 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,080 It's a challenge, but scientists are 255 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,860 using various techniques from analyzing the light emitted 256 00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:08,140 by neutron stars to studying the gravitational waves they 257 00:09:08,140 --> 00:09:09,560 produce when they collide. 258 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:11,640 So even though we can't directly observe 259 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,000 the inside of a neutron star, we can still 260 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,640 learn about it by studying its effects 261 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:16,840 on the surrounding universe. 262 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:17,680 Exactly. 263 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:20,440 And every new observation, every new piece of data 264 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,160 brings us closer to understanding 265 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,560 these enigmatic objects. 266 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:25,960 Well, this has been an absolutely fascinating journey 267 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:27,320 so far. 268 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,960 From spinning pulsars to magnetars 269 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,920 with their mind-boggling magnetic fields, 270 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,400 from X-ray binaries to kilonovas that 271 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,320 forge the elements of life, neutron stars 272 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:39,960 are truly a cosmic wonder. 273 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,080 They're a testament to the incredible power 274 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,120 and creativity of the universe. 275 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:45,620 And who knows what other secrets they 276 00:09:45,620 --> 00:09:48,080 hold waiting to be unlocked by future generations 277 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:49,080 of astronomers. 278 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,800 On that note, we'll wrap up part two of our deep dive 279 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,320 into neutron stars. 280 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:54,760 Join us for part three, where we'll 281 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:56,480 explore even more mysteries surrounding 282 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,000 these incredible objects. 283 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,760 Welcome back to Cosmos in a Pod. 284 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,320 We're wrapping up our deep dive into, well, 285 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,960 the wild world of neutron stars. 286 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:05,800 Yeah, it's been quite a journey exploring 287 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,760 these dense and often bizarre objects. 288 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:10,640 It really has. 289 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,560 We've covered so much from their birth 290 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:16,760 in these supernova explosions to their role 291 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,680 in actually creating heavy elements like gold and platinum. 292 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:21,720 But before we go, I wanted to circle back 293 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,880 to this idea of a quark star, which 294 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,120 is this theoretical object that's 295 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,360 even denser than a neutron star. 296 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,520 Is there any chance these things actually exist 297 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,760 out there in the universe? 298 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,360 That's the question that keeps astrophysicists up at night. 299 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:38,600 The idea is that if the gravity of a neutron star 300 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,100 is strong enough, it could actually 301 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:42,200 collapse the neutrons themselves, 302 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,960 breaking them down into their constituent quarks. 303 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,680 So it's like taking a neutron star, which is already 304 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:50,640 unimaginably dense and somehow squeezing it even further. 305 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:51,560 Exactly. 306 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:53,840 And that would create this state of matter 307 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,120 that we call quark matter, or a quark glue on plasma. 308 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,920 It's something that hasn't existed since the first few 309 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:01,520 microseconds after the Big Bang. 310 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,000 So if we could find a quark star, 311 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,200 it would be like having a window into the very beginning 312 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:08,120 of the universe. 313 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:09,360 That's the hope. 314 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,760 But finding these objects, it's incredibly difficult. 315 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,240 They would be smaller than neutron stars, 316 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,040 and their properties would be very similar, making them 317 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:19,880 really hard to distinguish. 318 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,280 So it's like trying to find a specific grain 319 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:23,440 of sand on a beach. 320 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:24,920 Yeah, it's a good analogy. 321 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,800 Scientists are searching for subtle differences 322 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,320 in the radiation emitted by neutron stars, 323 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,920 or the way they cool that might point 324 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,280 to the existence of quark matter. 325 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,640 But so far, the evidence is inconclusive. 326 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:39,320 It's a good reminder that science 327 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:40,560 is a process of discovery. 328 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:42,400 And sometimes the answers we're looking for, 329 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:43,520 they remain elusive. 330 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,440 But that doesn't stop us from searching, right? 331 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:46,760 Absolutely. 332 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,480 And speaking of mysteries, there are other fascinating questions 333 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,640 surrounding neutron stars. 334 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,600 For example, we still don't fully 335 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,840 understand how those incredibly powerful magnetic fields 336 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:58,760 are generated. 337 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:00,300 Yeah, we talked about magnetars and how 338 00:12:00,300 --> 00:12:02,960 their magnetic fields are trillions of times 339 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:04,480 stronger than Earth's. 340 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,480 What are some of the leading theories 341 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,120 about how these fields arise? 342 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,560 Well, one idea is that during the collapse of the star's core, 343 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:16,560 the magnetic field lines get squeezed together and amplified. 344 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,640 Another theory suggests that the rapid rotation of the neutron 345 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,600 star, combined with the movement of charged particles 346 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,240 in its interior, creates a dynamo effect that 347 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,680 generates the magnetic field. 348 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:29,460 So it's like a giant cosmic generator 349 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:33,120 just spinning and churning out these incredible magnetic 350 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:33,620 fields. 351 00:12:33,620 --> 00:12:35,280 That's one way to picture it, yeah. 352 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,120 But the exact mechanism, it's still being debated. 353 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:39,680 It seems like with every answer we 354 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:44,840 uncover about neutron stars, a dozen new questions pop up. 355 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,360 It's a field that's just ripe for discovery. 356 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:49,120 Absolutely. 357 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:50,640 And that's what makes it so exciting. 358 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,060 There's still so much we don't know about these objects. 359 00:12:53,060 --> 00:12:54,480 And every new observation, it just 360 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:55,880 brings us closer to understanding 361 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:57,280 their incredible nature. 362 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,000 Before we go, I wanted to touch on one last thing. 363 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,360 We've focused a lot on the extreme physics 364 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,080 of neutron stars. 365 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,320 But could there be anything even weirder out there? 366 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,120 Is there a possibility of objects even 367 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:10,760 denser than quark stars? 368 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,560 Well, now you're venturing into the realm of pure speculation. 369 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,280 But some theoretical physicists have 370 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,480 proposed the existence of objects called prion stars. 371 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:20,920 Prion stars, what are those? 372 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,320 The idea is that quarks themselves might not 373 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:24,640 be fundamental particles. 374 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,720 They might be made up of even smaller constituents 375 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:27,520 called prions. 376 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,560 So it's like going down another level on the subatomic scale. 377 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:31,520 Exactly. 378 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,360 And if prions exist, then it's theoretically 379 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,240 possible for them to form an even denser state of matter 380 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:39,320 than quark matter. 381 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:40,720 That's mind boggling. 382 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,520 So we've got neutron stars, quark stars, and now prion stars. 383 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,560 Is there an end to how dense matter can get? 384 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:51,480 That's a question that really pushes 385 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,640 the boundaries of our current understanding of physics. 386 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,320 It might be that there's a fundamental limit to density, 387 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,600 a point where matter simply can't be compressed any further. 388 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,920 Or maybe there are even more exotic states of matter 389 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,160 out there just waiting to be discovered. 390 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:06,960 It seems like the universe is constantly 391 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,840 challenging our assumptions about what's possible. 392 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:10,680 It certainly is. 393 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:13,120 And that's what makes the study of neutron stars 394 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,800 and other extreme objects so fascinating. 395 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,240 They force us to confront the limits of our knowledge 396 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,760 and to imagine possibilities that we might have never 397 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:22,200 considered before. 398 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,140 Well, I think it's safe to say that this deep dive 399 00:14:25,140 --> 00:14:28,680 into neutron stars has, well, it's 400 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,800 left me with more questions than answers. 401 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,480 But it's also sparked this sense of awe and wonder 402 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,480 about this incredible universe we live in. 403 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:37,800 I couldn't agree more. 404 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,440 These objects are a testament to the power, the creativity, 405 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,120 the mystery of the cosmos. 406 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:44,880 And as we continue to explore and learn, 407 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:46,280 I have no doubt that they'll continue 408 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:50,400 to captivate our imaginations for generations to come. 409 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,680 That's it for our deep dive into the, well, 410 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,200 the insane science of neutron stars. 411 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:56,960 We hope you enjoyed the journey. 412 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,960 And if you want to learn more about neutron stars 413 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,240 or any other astronomical wonders, 414 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,160 don't forget to follow and subscribe to Cosmos 415 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:04,760 in a Pod and our YouTube channel. 416 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,840 We'll see you next time for another deep dive 417 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:23,200 into the universe.