The Golden Age of Neutron Stars with Gordon Baym

Neutron stars were first posited in the early thirties, and discovered as pulsars in the late sixties; however we are only recently beginning to understand the matter they contain. After a brief mention of neutron star history, I will describe the ongoing development of a consistent picture of the liquid interiors of neutron stars, now driven by ever increasing observations as well as theoretical advances. These include in particular observations of at least three heavy neutron stars of about 2.0 solar masses and higher; ongoing simultaneous inferences of masses and radii of neutron stars by the NICER telescope; and past and future observations of binary neutron star mergers, through gravitational waves as well as across the electromagnetic spectrum. I will also discuss pulsar timing arrays to detect very long wavelength gravitational waves, a remarkable role for neutron stars. Theoretically an understanding is emerging in QCD of how nuclear matter can turn into deconfined quark matter in the interior, and be capable of supporting heavy neutron stars, which I will illustrate with a discussion of modern quark-hadron crossover equations of state.
Gordon Baym graduated from Cornell University (A.B.) in 1956, and from Harvard University (Ph.D.) in 1960, as a student of Julian Schwinger. He then spent two years at the Institut for Teoretisk Fysik in Copenhagen (now the Niels Bohr Institute). After a year at Berkeley, he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois, where he is presently a Research Professor of Physics, Center for Advanced Study Professor Emeritus, and Fisher Distinguished Professor of Engineering Emeritus. He has been a regular participant in the Aspen Center for Physics since 1967. Baym’s interests in physics range from quantum statistical mechanics to matter at low temperatures and under extreme conditions. A pioneer in the study of pulsars and neutron stars, he has been a driver in laboratory studies of density matter via ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. His ongoing interests include quark matter, primordial neutrinos and the intersection of low temperature and high energy physics. Baym is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and of the American Philosophical Society. He is a recipient of the American Physical Society Hans Bethe Prize and Lars Onsager Prize, the Eugene Feenberg Memorial Medal, and the 2021 American Physical Society Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research. His continuing service to the physics community lately includes chairing the National Academy of Sciences study of the Electron-Ion Collider.
This colloquium was originally recorded on July 18, 2024 at the Aspen Center for Physics. Our Colloquia series is made by physicists, for physicists.

[@acidtechno]

nice content, wish we had this kinda sci lesson at school in the 1970s, 80s amazing .

[@redshift5050]

Audio keeps cutting out.

[@AspenPhysics]

Hi, thank you for your feedback. We are working on upgrading our system. Thank you for your patience, and we hope you were still able to get something useful from the video. Sometimes using the "Closed Caption" function in KZbin can help (though it is not always 100% correct.)

[@AspenPhysics]

Hi @redshift5050, I noticed you've commented on the audio for quite a few videos. We are working on upgrading our system. We are a very small non-profit with a small staff, and do what we can to make this content available. Thank you for your feedback about the audio, and thank you for your patience while we try to implement a new solution to help the sound quality.

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

It definitely appears to be an avenue to bring many feilds together through the 3rd & final frontier that underpins it all deserves a revamped rebranding with emphasis in these energy density physics with fresh new lines of marketing and recruiting new thinking. Side note hypothesis . The type of energy density measured per capita to scale in some biology along with current evidence in our world over the past decade I can't imagine not being able to bring in orgin of life as a line of measure for the feild If only in triangulated candidates for exo plants search not to mention our own here on earth. Time of cool down and decay to reach that moment of cambrian epoch per distance of measure. We definitely can rule out single cell origin goo struck by lightning or created by earthly measure & huxlys magical matter panspermia from origins. It has to be magnatar,neutron stars or even more powerful qauzar critical extreme alignment with certain specific elements .

[@gordoneldest8462]

Interesting so that awful sound makes it so frustrating that I drop listening

[@AspenPhysics]

Hi, we are currently working on upgrading our system to help with the audio issues. We appreciate your feedback!

[@tobyclayton2597]

It's not audiophile quality but it is easily understood. I wish that people weren't so (insrt appropriate word here 😂).

[@TemmeSikkema]

Unlistenable unfortunately. Better luck next time!