Re:We've spotted a planet surviving its dying star
by hinkley on Friday October 15, 2021 @01:13PM
(#28880198)
Would the magnetic fields of a neutron star create a tidal locking effect through eddy currents in the planet’s core, boosting it into a larger orbit and slowing the spin of the star? Seems like a giant inside out induction motor.
I wonder what the band of survival is, where the planet doesn’t get turned to Swiss cheese first.
Re:We've spotted a planet surviving its dying star
by denton-scratch on Friday October 15, 2021 @02:13PM
(#28881022)
I have no idea what the neighbourhood of a neutron star is like, nor what the effects of such intense fields might be. This is theoretical physics and cosmology. I'm not competent even to speculate.
Yes, I get the "induction motor" idea. With fields and voltages that intense, I guess just about anything becomes conductive.
[Edit] I don't know whether those field strengths are consistent with atoms continuing to be atoms - I guess there must be some range beyond which a thing like a planet could maintain its integrity. But (guessing wildly) I would expect there to be a region around a neutron star within which it is impossible for atoms to exist.
To survive in orbit around a WD is not a remarkable achievement - you just carry on orbiting forever (roughly). Orbiting a red giant would be pretty interesting, though - the RG has an indistinct surface, its diameter and luminosity varies, and it emits a lot of material as wind.
To survive in orbit around a neutron star would be another thing again. Neutron stars have intense magnetic fields, and spin rather quickly, resulting in a rotating field that is wrapped around on itself. That in effect creates a particle accelerator, driving electron flows (the electrons were all expelled when the NS collapsed) with extreme energies.
Short of hanging around near an exploding supernova, I can't imagine a more hostile environment.