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Grab a teaspoon of neutron star core. Teleport it into Earth's atmosphere. What would happen? (kbin.social)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I believe the density chances quickly to match Earth's pressure.

But what else? Will it release energy enough to blow Earth up? Will its mass create some kind of an apocalyptical event?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

There is a thin veneer of elemental matter -- I think plasma iron (edit: close -- it is degenerate iron plasma frozen into a crystal lattice) -- on the crust of the star, it is theorized.

But once you're in the creamy center, you're dealing with shit that does not fit on a periodic table. The stuff that neutron stars are made of is not molecular in any sense that you know it.

I enjoy the theoretical nuclear pasta and nuclear lasagna of crystalized neutron matter.

And some of the biggest ones may not even be neutrons anymore. The math predicts stuff like strange stars -- exotic quark plasma -- as we approach the physical limits before collapse into a singularity.

Here's the relevant PBS SpaceTime episode.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

exotic quark plasma

Oh cool! What do we know about it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Once again I recommend a PBS SpaceTime video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4RNGRyzt10

Short answer: we only know theoretical stuff and, frankly, probably won't know anything non-theoretical for a VERY long time if ever because creating this kind of matter kind of requires a neutron star.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I remember that (if any other thing about the environment didn't kill us) the electric field would squeeze our atoms and make us into dust if we landed on a neutron star!