Research
A likely supermassive neutron star might shed light on the mass gap between neutron stars and black holes
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- A team of astronomers identified a red giant star with an unseen binary companion using LAMOST and APOGEE data.
- The companion is described as a likely supermassive neutron star.
- The finding may help explain the mass gap between neutron stars and black holes.
Why it matters
If confirmed, a neutron star at this mass would help clarify where neutron stars end and black holes begin, a boundary that remains poorly constrained.
Who’s affected
- astronomers and stellar physicists
- #neutron stars
- #black holes
- #red giants
- #binary stars
- #stellar astronomy
A team of astronomers recently identified a red giant star with an unseen binary companion after examining data from the Large Sky Area MultiObject Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). Although the…