The narrative discusses the formation and characteristics of neutron stars, a type of celestial object that results from the collapse of a massive star. Neutron stars are extremely dense, with a mass around a million times that of Earth but compressed into an object about 25 kilometers wide. Their density is so high that the mass of all living humans would fit into one cubic centimeter of neutron star matter, which is roughly a billion tonnes in a space the size of a sugar cube.
Neutron stars are formed when a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel, leading to a supernova explosion. The pressure and gravity of the collapsing star cause electrons and protons to fuse into neutrons, creating a dense, compact object. The outer layers of the star implode at 25 percent the speed of light, producing a shock wave that catapults the rest of the star into space.
The outermost layers of a neutron star are made of iron, left over from the supernova, squeezed together in a crystal lattice with a sea of electrons flowing through them. As one goes deeper into the neutron star, the nuclei are squeezed closer together, leading to the creation of "nuclear pasta", a dense, strong material that may be the strongest in the universe.
Neutron stars also have a unique property: they spin very fast, creating pulses because their magnetic field creates a beam of radio waves which passes every time they spin. These radio pulsars are the best-known type of neutron star.
The narrative also discusses the cycle of star formation and death, stating that stars have to die twice to create elements. The remains of these neutron stars end up in a cloud which gravity pulls together to form stars and planets, repeating the cycle.
The narrative ends with a call to action, encouraging viewers to support a shop called Kotzkazak, which offers a calendar, merchandise, and more.
1. Neutron stars are one of the most extreme and violent things in the universe.
2. They are giant atomic nuclei only a few kilometers in diameter but as massive as stars.
3. Their existence is due to the death of something majestic.
4. Stars exist because of a fragile balance of the mass of millions of billions of trillions of tons of hot plasma.
5. This mass is being pulled inwards by gravity and squeezed together with so much force that nuclei fuse.
6. Hydrogen fuses into helium, releasing energy which pushes against gravity and tries to escape.
7. As long as this balance exists, stars are pretty stable.
8. Eventually, the hydrogen will be exhausted.
9. Medium stars like our sun go through a giant phase where they burn helium into carbon and oxygen before they eventually turn into white dwarfs.
10. But in stars many times the mass of our sun, things get interesting when the helium is exhausted.
11. For a moment, the balance of pressure and radiation tips and gravity winds squeeze the star tighter than before.
12. The core burns hotter and faster while the outer layers of the stars swell by hundreds of times fusing heavier and heavier elements.
13. Iron is nuclear ash, it has no energy to give and cannot be fused.
14. The fusion suddenly stops and the balance ends.
15. Without the outward pressure from fusion, the core is crushed by the enormous weight of the star above it.
16. What happens now is awesome and scary.
17. Particles like electrons and protons fuse into neutrons which then get squeezed together as tightly as in atomic nuclei.
18. An iron ball the size of the earth is squeezed into a ball of pure nuclear matter the size of a city.
19. The mass of all living humans would fit into one cubic centimeter of neutron star matter.
20. That's roughly a billion tonnes in a space the size of a sugar cube.
21. From the outside, a neutron star is unbelievably extreme.
22. Its gravity is the strongest outside black holes and if it were any denser, it would become one.
23. Light is bent around it, meaning you can see the front and parts of the back.
24. Their surfaces reach a million degrees celsius compared to a measly 6000 degrees for our sun.
25. Neutron stars are celestial ballerinas, spinning many times per second.
26. This creates pulses because their magnetic field creates a beam of radio waves which passes every time they spin.
27. These radio pulsars are the best known type of neutron star.
28. Neutron stars are friends with other neutron stars by radiating away energy as gravitational waves ripples and space time their orbits can decay and they can crash into and kill each other in a kill and over explosion.
29. When they do, the conditions become so extreme that for a moment heavy nuclei are made again.
30. This is probably the origin of most of the heavy elements in the universe like gold, uranium, and platinum and dozens more.
31. Our solar system is one example and the remains of those neutron stars that came before us are all around us.
32. Our entire technological modern world was built out of the elements neutron stars made in eons past sending these atoms on a 13 billion year journey to come together and make us and our world.