Posted on 02/27/2011 5:08:43 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Superfluids are strange states of matter, typically forming at very low and very high temperatures, exhibiting gonzo properties like a seemingly gravity-defying tendency to climb up the walls of containers and friction-free superconductivity. That is, they are perfect conductors that don't lose energy during transmission. And the fact that they appear to exist at the center of neutron stars tells scientists a lot about nuclear interactions in high-density matter and the life-cycles of neutron stars.
The pressure within neutron stars is so intense that in the stars' cores, charged particles merge, resulting in a star mostly consisting of neutrons (hence the name). This pressure also gives off a great deal of heat. But in looking at supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, about 11,000 light years away, Chandra noticed an ultra-dense neutron star that was bleeding temperature at a rate of about four percent per decade, a rapid and anomalous decline.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
Chandra's View of Cassiopeia A (Cas A) At the heart of this supernova remnant located in our Galaxy about 11,000 light years away, a neutron star is showing signs of a superfluid forming at its core, the first direct evidence of a superfluid forming in a neutron star. X-ray: NASA/CXC/xx; Optical: NASA/STScI; Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
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Ping.
“exhibiting gonzo properties”
Gonzo is a scientific word? Interesting article
I'll take a SWAG at this.
Yes. Yes it is.
I think a type of Quark. let's see. There's up, down, charm, strange, gonzo, bananas, and bonkers.
and if you doubt it, check out this unexpectedly busy topic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2681062/posts
Yeah, that looks like fun. :’)
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