A neutron star and a white dwarf have been found orbiting each other with a period of 42 minutes. What is their average separation? Compare the separation with the radius of the Sun, 7×105 km. A typical white dwarf is about as massive as the Sun. Suppose the mass of the neutron star is 2 solar mass. (Hints: Use the version of Kepler's third law for binary stars and make sure you express quantities in units of AU, solar masses, and years.)

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Chapter13: Universal Gravitation
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Problem 13.26P: Neutron stars are extremely dense objects formed from the remnants of supernova explosions. Many...
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Neutron Star, White Dwarf Binary Separation.

A neutron star and a white dwarf have been found orbiting each other with a period of 42 minutes. What is their average separation? Compare the separation with the radius of the Sun, 7×105 km. A typical white dwarf is about as massive as the Sun. Suppose the mass of the neutron star is 2 solar mass. (Hints: Use the version of Kepler's third law for binary stars and make sure you express quantities in units of AU, solar masses, and years.)

 

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