this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025
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After reading I realised that this proposal isn't a single new element for all neutron stars, but a separate new entry on the table for every individual neutron star in existence, unless there are two that happen to have the exact same number of protons which is unlikely. Sounds good to me
This is how the author is estimating it, they are assuming 1/9th of the mass is protons. No idea how good that assumption is though, there is a source which doesn't look the most convincing
Whoopsie. I used to assume neutron stars are made of neutrons. It turns out Big Astronomy lied to me.
Neutron stars are made of neutrons in the same way that tapwater is made of water molecules: primarily, but not entirely
Neutron stars have so high pressure that MOST but not all protons decay into neutrons plus ~~electrons~~ positrons (plus neutrinos)
Edit: (see quote below)
I'm not exactly well-read on particle physics, but to my understanding neutrons and neutrinos are neutrally charged and electrons are negatively charged. Why does a proton break down into net-negatively charged particles? I assume some weird quark shenanigans.
https://abc.lbl.gov/wallchart/chapters/03/2.html
I got stuff mixed
Thanks for the clarification! That all makes sense to me.
I thought they were made from your mom's dingleberries