Using simulations to study the elastic properties of neutron star crusts, the researchers were able to conclude that the material inside it is up to 10 billion billion times more rigid than steel. Neutron stars are, after all, 100 trillion times denser than any material here on Earth. The results are published in Physical Review Letters.
The simulations required 2 million hours worth of processor time, which was conducted using a supercomputer. On a regular laptop, the simulations would run for 250 years. [...]
"A lot of interesting physics is going on here under extreme conditions and so understanding the physical properties of a neutron star is a way for scientists to test their theories and models,” Caplan added. “With this result, many problems need to be revisited. How large a mountain can you build on a neutron star before the crust breaks and it collapses? What will it look like? And most importantly, how can astronomers observe it?"
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