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You are here: Science» Science Goals» Matter under Extreme Conditions» Neutron Start Equation of State» Continued
Neutron Star Equation of State – continuedWhat is the equation of state of matter in neutron stars? «IXO will determine the radius and mass of several neutron stars to within several percent, providing strong constraints on the Neutron Star Equation of State. The neutron star surface will be probed via X-ray absorption spectroscopy: metals deposited at the surface via accretion provide spectroscopic features. Additionally, at the very high magnetic fields found in magnetars (1014 Gauss), IXO will be able to observe quantum electrodynamics events via X-ray polarization. See IXO Technology: X-ray Polarimeter. 
High-resolution X-ray spectra of bursting, accreting neutron stars show redshifted absorption lines that reveal the neutron star mass and radius. Courtesy Mariano Mendez. Click the image for a larger view. For more information, refer to IXO Astro 2010 Decadal White Papers: The Behavior of Matter Under Extreme Conditions, F. Paerels et al. |
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