# Two neutron stars on a collision course?



## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 1, 2008)

What exactly will happen when two neutron stars are on a collision course? I think a supernova and black hole is inevitable if both neutron stars are very heavy. But what about smaller ones? Will they merge? Or be torn into thousands of "pieces" from the impact? Another theory is gamma ray bursts with huge amounts of mass converted into energy. Expert opinion?


----------



## Urien (Mar 1, 2008)

Two neutron stars on a collison course, the first neutron star left alpha quadrant at 6.35pm on a Tuesday, 86m BC, travelling at 150,000 kps...

SATS question for super clever aliens?


----------



## Nik (Mar 1, 2008)

*Gravity waves galore, then GRB ??*

Just a guess.


----------



## MG1962 (Mar 1, 2008)

Apparently they will give off a death chirp lol - And I am not making that up 

SPACE.com -- Neutron Star Collisions Common, Study Suggests


----------



## Urien (Mar 1, 2008)

"Tweet" said the exploding star.


----------



## Vladd67 (Mar 1, 2008)

Not with a bang but a chirp?


----------



## j d worthington (Mar 1, 2008)

Vladd67 said:


> Not with a bang but a chirp?


 
Oh, dear... we're going to have to put you and Ursa Major into the same room before long....

Matt... It looks as if you're question has been answered, but the gamma ray theory sounds awfully close to some things I've come across in discussions on this before (sorry, I don't recall the sources, unfortunately....)


----------



## The Ace (Mar 1, 2008)

Why don't we just wait and see ? I thought that was what science was about.


----------



## Vladd67 (Mar 1, 2008)

j. d. worthington said:


> Oh, dear... we're going to have to put you and Ursa Major into the same room before long....



Please I'll be good anything but that


----------



## MG1962 (Mar 1, 2008)

j. d. worthington said:


> Oh, dear... we're going to have to put you and Ursa Major into the same room before long....
> 
> Matt... It looks as if you're question has been answered, but the gamma ray theory sounds awfully close to some things I've come across in discussions on this before (sorry, I don't recall the sources, unfortunately....)


 
I have heard the same gamma ray connection. I dont believe it is proved yet, but one of the strongest of the competing theories. I was chewing the fat with a professional astronomer a few years ago and quiped, wouldn't be funny if these out bursts turned out to be aliens engaing their warp engines. He laughed and said, yes wouldn't that be a turn up for the books


----------



## j d worthington (Mar 2, 2008)

MG1962 said:


> I have heard the same gamma ray connection. I dont believe it is proved yet, but one of the strongest of the competing theories. I was chewing the fat with a professional astronomer a few years ago and quiped, wouldn't be funny if these out bursts turned out to be aliens engaing their warp engines. He laughed and said, yes wouldn't that be a turn up for the books


 
Oh, I definitely like!


----------



## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 2, 2008)

j. d. worthington said:


> Oh, dear... we're going to have to put you and Ursa Major into the same room before long....
> 
> Matt... It looks as if you're question has been answered, but the gamma ray theory sounds awfully close to some things I've come across in discussions on this before (sorry, I don't recall the sources, unfortunately....)




Yes, it did. Thanks. My feeling however is that the theory needs to be refined as there are many parameters. Not only the mass but also the speed before the collision...


----------



## MG1962 (Mar 2, 2008)

matt-browne-sfw said:


> Yes, it did. Thanks. My feeling however is that the theory needs to be refined as there are many parameters. Not only the mass but also the speed before the collision...


 
Well they seem to think that two nuetron stars wont smack into each other but will go into orbit and spiral in, I believe this collision will answer a lot of your questions

I recall back when Supernova 1987A went of - theoretical astronomers were doing happy dances all over the world - A hundred years of theories and predictions got tested, and suprising the theory was pretty good. So they suddenly realised they were on top of the mechanics behind supernova


----------



## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 9, 2008)

If the neutron stars break up into smaller pieces, neutron decay is possible...


----------



## Sephiroth (Mar 11, 2008)

I'm very, _very _far from being an expert.  

Based on my limited knowledge, my expectation would be the formation of a black hole and production of a GRB, since I would think that they would 'merge' and violate the  Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, triggering complete gravitational collapse.


----------



## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 16, 2008)

Sephiroth said:


> I'm very, _very _far from being an expert.
> 
> Based on my limited knowledge, my expectation would be the formation of a black hole and production of a GRB, since I would think that they would 'merge' and violate the  Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, triggering complete gravitational collapse.



The way I understand it, it depends on the mass of the two neutron stars.


----------

