Abstract
We summarize our current knowledge of neutron-star masses and radii. Recent instrumentation and computational advances have resulted in a rapid increase in the discovery rate and precise timing of radio pulsars in binaries in the past few years, leading to a large number of mass measurements. These discoveries show that the neutron-star mass distribution is much wider than previously thought, with three known pulsars now firmly in the 1.9-2.0-Mo mass range. For radii, large, high-quality data sets from X-ray satellites as well as significant progress in theoretical modeling led to considerable progress in the measurements, placing them in the 10-11.5-km range and shrinking their uncertainties, owing to a better understanding of the sources of systematic errors. The combination of the massive-neutron-star discoveries, the tighter radius measurements, and improved laboratory constraints of the properties of dense matter has already made a substantial impact on our understanding of the composition and bulk properties of cold nuclear matter at densities higher than that of the atomic nucleus, a major unsolved problem in modern physics.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 401-440 |
Number of pages | 40 |
Journal | Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics |
Volume | 54 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 19 2016 |
Keywords
- Dense matter
- Neutron stars
- Pulsar timing
- Pulsars
- X-ray sources
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science