Timeline for What stabilizes neutrons against beta decay in a neutron star?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2016 at 11:09 | comment | added | ProfRob | @ticster The latter. See my answer. | |
| Aug 4, 2014 at 13:38 | comment | added | dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten | @ticster Can I say "yes"? I am far from a expert in the matter but I believe that the presence of neutrinos (which are not bound) in the reactions means that the situation is not the kind of continuous back-n-forth equilibrium that we usually envision in, say, a mixed phase or chemical reactions. But the ambient neutrino flux must allow some shuffling. | |
| Aug 4, 2014 at 7:59 | comment | added | ticster | @dmckee Does this mean that $\beta$ decay does occur, but the material is at a point where this decay is in equilibrium with electron capture rates, or just that the pressure prevents flat out from occurring, or a bit of both ? | |
| Aug 3, 2014 at 7:41 | comment | added | ProfRob | See my answer below about neutron lifetimes. It is very long if only modified URCA is possible. | |
| Jul 19, 2013 at 4:15 | comment | added | user10851 | @Slaviks I don't want you to go away with the impression that neutrons are unchanging in neutron stars. In fact, neutrons are transforming all the time via the (direct and modified) Urca process (see also here), and the subsequent release of neutrinos is one of the main channels for neutron stars to cool off. The neutron/proton ratio is very much set by thermodynamics, not kinetics. | |
| May 5, 2013 at 15:47 | vote | accept | Slaviks | ||
| May 5, 2013 at 15:42 | comment | added | Slaviks | This really nails it! Thanks to you both for a quick and decisive resolution. | |
| May 5, 2013 at 15:40 | comment | added | dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten | That is a very reasonable way to view it. Though as Ben alluded in his comment Noldig's answer, the situation is setup starting with a electron degenerate gas and converting protons to neutrons as long as you get energy back taking electrons (with high chemical potential) out of the picture. At equilibrium both the electrons and the neutrons are degenerate and you run into a energy barrier going either way. | |
| May 5, 2013 at 15:34 | comment | added | Slaviks | So, you are saying that the chemical potential of electrons rises so quickly with addition of yet another electron that it is enough to keep just a bit of them around to preclude beta decay? And, unlike others, you emphasize electrons rather than protons because e are so much lighter? | |
| May 5, 2013 at 15:15 | history | answered | dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten | CC BY-SA 3.0 |