Neutron Star Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• dense : because neutron stars are so _ , they have intense gravitational and magnetic fields.
• light : a neutron star does not generate any _ or heat of its own after its formation.
• supernova : when – at the end of its life – a massive star explodes as a _ , its core can collapse to end up as a tiny and superdense object with not much more than our sun’s mass.
• nuclear fusion : gravity tries to compress the star while the star’s internal pressure exerts an outward push. the outward pressure is caused by _ _ at the star’s core.
• gold : the unimaginably violent neutron star collisions are thought to be where heavy elements like _ and platinum are created, as normal supernovae are not thought to generate the requisite pressures and temperatures.
• second : the fastest-rotating neutron star yet discovered rotates an incredible 716 times per _ , which is about a quarter of the speed of light.
• neutronium : thus the neutron star gets its name from its composition. what gravity has created is a superdense, neutron-rich material – called _ – in a city-sized sphere.
• billion : a tablespoon of neutron star material would weigh more than 1 _ u.s. tons.
• magnetar : a neutron star that has an abnormally strong magnetic field is known as a _
• gravity : in a supernova explosion, _ suddenly and catastrophically gets the upper hand in the war it has been waging with the star’s internal pressure for millions or billions of years.
• million : there are estimated to be more than a hundred _ neutron stars in our milky way galaxy.