Neutron star crust cooling
The accretion of matter compresses the crust of a neutron star, which induces a chain of nuclear reactions that involve electron captures, neutron emissions and density-driven fusion reactions that take place at several hundreds meters depth inside the neutron star. These reactions release energy that cause the crust of the neutron star to be heated, but this heat is eventually conducted over the entire stellar body and radiated away via neutrinos emitted from the dense core of the neutron star, as well as thermal X-ray radiation from its surface. The thermal X-ray radiation emerging from the surface of the hot neutron star effectively acts as a thermometer.
API astronomers use sensitive X-ray satellites to observe the thermal emission of neutron stars, which can be detected once the accretion of matter has ceased. Studying any possible evolution in the temperature of the neutron star carries important information about its structure and composition. This allows researchers to gain more insight into the unusual properties of these extreme objects and also provides a gateway to study the behavior of matter under extreme physical conditions.
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