Science-advisor
REGISTER info/FAQ
Login
username
password
     
forgot password?
register here
 
Research articles
  search articles
  reviews guidelines
  reviews
  articles index
My Pages
my alerts
  my messages
  my reviews
  my favorites
 
 
Stat
Members: 3643
Articles: 2'488'730
Articles rated: 2609

29 March 2024
 
  » arxiv » 1011.4291

 Article overview


The Neutron Star Mass Distribution
Bulent Kiziltan ; Athanasios Kottas ; Stephen E. Thorsett ;
Date 18 Nov 2010
AbstractIn recent years, the number of pulsars with secure mass measurements has increased to a level that allows us to probe the underlying neutron star mass distribution in detail. We critically review radio pulsar mass measurements and present a detailed examination through which we are able to put stringent constraints on the underlying neutron star mass distribution. For the first time, we are able to analyze a sizable population of neutron star-white dwarf systems in addition to double neutron star systems with a technique that accounts for systematically different measurement errors. We find that neutron stars that have evolved through different evolutionary paths reflect distinctive signatures through dissimilar distribution peak and mass cutoff values. Neutron stars in double neutron star and neutron star-white dwarf systems show consistent respective peaks at 1.35 Msun and 1.50 Msun which suggest significant mass accretion (Delta m~0.15 Msun) has occurred during the spin up phase. The width of the mass distribution implied by double neutron star systems is indicative of a tight initial mass function while the inferred mass range is significantly wider for neutron stars that have gone through recycling. We find a mass cutoff at 2 Msun for neutron stars with white dwarf companions which establishes a firm lower bound for the maximum neutron star mass. This rules out the majority of strange quark and soft equation of state models as viable configurations for neutron star matter. The lack of truncation close to the maximum mass cutoff suggests that the 2 Msun limit is set by evolutionary constraints rather than nuclear physics or general relativity, and the existence of rare super-massive neutron stars is possible.
Source arXiv, 1011.4291
Services Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites   
 
Visitor rating: did you like this article? no 1   2   3   4   5   yes

No review found.
 Did you like this article?

This article or document is ...
important:
of broad interest:
readable:
new:
correct:
Global appreciation:

  Note: answers to reviews or questions about the article must be posted in the forum section.
Authors are not allowed to review their own article. They can use the forum section.

browser claudebot






ScienXe.org
» my Online CV
» Free


News, job offers and information for researchers and scientists:
home  |  contact  |  terms of use  |  sitemap
Copyright © 2005-2024 - Scimetrica