obct537
obct537 t1_ivj701x wrote
Reply to Bizarre star may have a solid surface, according to X-ray observations. Astronomers have now spotted a super strange one that seems to have a solid surface. Its intense magnetic field is strong enough to overcome its blistering temperatures and “freeze” its outer layers into a solid crust. by MistWeaver80
... Am I missing something here? I've watched enough nerdy YouTube shows to be aware that neutron stars/magnetars have a solid surface for years now. The article talks a fair bit about not finding an atmosphere, I'm guessing maybe that's the surprising detail here? Is this describing a different "solid surface" than I've heard about before?
obct537 t1_ivj868q wrote
Reply to comment by lazy_elfs in Bizarre star may have a solid surface, according to X-ray observations. Astronomers have now spotted a super strange one that seems to have a solid surface. Its intense magnetic field is strong enough to overcome its blistering temperatures and “freeze” its outer layers into a solid crust. by MistWeaver80
(my uber amateur understanding):
Well, it's neutronium I believe, so the melting point is basically "lolwut?"
However, I think in the case of a magnetar, the gravitational/electromagnetic forces make the pressure so impossibly high that it just can't be anything other than a solid, at least on the surface.
Neutron stars are weird as hell though, I could be misunderstanding all of it