Dutch researcher Steve van Straaten has set an astronomical record during his doctoral research, registering the fastest ever change in the X-ray emission originating from a binary star. This record-breaking binary star consists of a neutron star and a lighter companion star. Straaten studied the time variations in the X-ray emission from various binary stars and found one of the binary stars had a vibrational frequency of 1330 Hz (E sharp) ; the intensity of the X-rays emitted changes 1330 times per second. That is the highest frequency ever measured for such a variation. The researcher used this information to determine the upper limit for the size and mass of the neutron star.
Neutron stars consist of the most compacted material in our universe. They have a mass comparable to that of our sun but they are about one quadrillion times smaller. If a neutron star and a normal star rotate around each other, matter can pass from the normal star to the neutron star. This happens as soon as the gravitational force of the normal star is no longer strong enough to stop its outer layers from being pulled away by the attractive force of the neutron star.
The matter originating from the star will move to the neutron star in a spiralling trajectory. The inner part of such a spiral-shaped disk and the surface of the neutron star are so hot that they emit high-energy X-rays. Changes in the intensity of this radiation are related to the movements of matter in the disk.
Van Straaten discovered that a relationship between the various movements around the neutron star is the same for different binary stars. Astronomers can use this discovery to develop new models for movement in the vicinity of a neutron star.
This research was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.
At least on a well-tempered klavier, or even a regular old piano…
For reference anyway, the A above middle C is traditionally 440 Hz, so this would be the E sharp (or F) in between the 2nd and 3rd A’s above middle C.
1330 Hz is actually somewhere between a true E and a true F. I just called it E sharp. Mr. Thompson, my childhood piano teacher, would doubtless disapprove. And for the record, I took lessons because my mom wanted me to, but they never took and I don’t play any musical instrument today. Much to my regret, I think I would truly appreciate the emotional outlet an instrument could provide. Perhaps I could learn to play neutron stars…
Hey, I was an eager pianist as a youngster, but then my parents sent me to a rather musically oriented private school for a year, where I was forced to choose another instrument: on the spur of the moment I picked violin. Which I’ve also enjoyed, but I really only still play piano very much any more. And somewhere along the way I discovered I had perfect pitch (which is a curse on an out-of-tune instrument…)
Hmmm, what was controversial about this one? But good to have some more in the non-front-page list I guess!
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Is that what’s called the Music of the Spheres”? or Celestial Music?
And if they ever get around to recording it, will it become Stars on 45?
jon
This reads Front Page to me, rj…
And I, too, am the product of 8 years of piano lessons. Unfortunately, my phobia of playing in public (I am the black sheep of my siblings…my two sisters are both church pianists) nipped any performance aspirations in the bud, but I would love to own a piano for the reason rj mentioned.
My other instrument of choice was the my generation’s requisite acoustic guitar. I could even manage a decent “The River is Wide” to accompany fellow dorm inmates… ah, the good old days.
in the 5th grade. Near the end of the school year, my brothers were teasing me unmercifully about my choice of instrument. I chased after them and hit one of them over the head so hard the bow snapped. The large payment for bow replacement and the sheer size of the instrument (maybe even the teasing) convinced me to quit that spring.
I meant to say “over the head with the bow so hard that it snapped .”