Stellar Collisions and Cosmic Catastrophes
Scientific Visualizations
Neutron Star Collisions
Simulation and Visualization by Maximilian Ruffert,
University of Edinburgh, Scotland & Hans-Thomas Janka, Max-Planck-Institut
fur Astrophysik, Germany
3 Visualizations
Merging of a Neutron Star Binary
Simulation and Visualization Details
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Two 1.6 solar mass neutron stars on circular orbits around each other
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color shows neutrino energy: red to blue represents 3 to 20 MeV
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brightness represents neutrino emission
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clock: one revolution of 'seconds' hand represents 1ms
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3D hydrodyamical calculation, nested grids, gravitational wave emission
and backreaction, nuclear equation-of-state, neutrino emission and annihilation
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orbital decay due to gravitational wave emission
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formation of merged object containing 3 solar masses, surrounding thick
disk of 0.1 solar mass.
Image
Click on image for a larger version
Movie
Neutron Star Collision: Off-Axis Collision
Simulation and Visualization Details
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Two 1.6 solar mass neutron stars on parabolic orbits past each other
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color shows neutrino energy: red to blue represents 3 to 20 MeV
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brightness represents neutrino emission
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clock: one revolution of 'seconds' hand represents 1ms
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3D hydrodyamical calculation, nested grids, gravitational wave emission
and backreaction, nuclear equation-of-state, neutrino emission and annihilation
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off-centre collision of two neutron stars; minimal distance during first
encounter is 1neutron star radius
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neutron stars separate again after first encounter, to collide a second
time
Image
Click on image for a larger version
Movie
Neutron Star Collision: Head-on Collision
Simulation and Visualization Details
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Two 1.6 solar mass neutron stars colliding head-on
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color shows neutrino energy: red to blue represents 3 to 20 MeV
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brightness represents neutrino emission
-
clock: one revolution of 'seconds' hand represents 1ms
-
3D hydrodyamical calculation, nested grids, gravitational wave emission
and backreaction, nuclear equation-of-state, neutrino emission and annihilation
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large quantities of matter are expelled in all directions which rules out
this scenario as central engine for GRBs
Image
Click on image for a larger version
Movie
Copyright & Credits
All usage must be cleared with the respective authors, as listed in
the credits. This includes posting on other web
sites and any other electronic, print, or media distribution.
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Last modified: May 19, 2000
