{ "id": 14884, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA Supercomputer Probes Tangled Magnetospheres of Merging Neutron Stars", "description": "New supercomputer simulations explore the tangled magnetic structures around merging neutron stars. These structures, called magnetospheres, interact as the city-sized stars enter their final orbits. Magnetic field lines can connect both stars, break, and reconnect, while currents surge through surrounding plasma moving at nearly the speed of light. The simulations show that these systems may produce X-rays and gamma rays that future observatories should be able to detect. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || NS_Binary_Sim_Still.jpg (5760x3240) [1.4 MB] || NS_Binary_Sim_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [67.6 KB] || NS_Binary_Sim_Still_thm.png (80x40) [5.2 KB] || 14884_NeutronStarBinarySim2_good.mp4 (1920x1080) [220.4 MB] || 14884_NeutronStarBinarySim2_best.mp4 (1920x1080) [363.9 MB] || NeutronStarBinarySimulationCaptions.en_US.srt [2.4 KB] || NeutronStarBinarySimulationCaptions.en_US.vtt [2.2 KB] || 14884_NeutronStarBinarySim2_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [1.7 GB] || ", "release_date": "2026-01-29T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2026-01-22T10:17:05.309486-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 1159928, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/NS_Binary_Sim_Still_searchweb.png", "filename": "NS_Binary_Sim_Still_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "New supercomputer simulations explore the tangled magnetic structures around merging neutron stars. These structures, called magnetospheres, interact as the city-sized stars enter their final orbits. Magnetic field lines can connect both stars, break, and reconnect, while currents surge through surrounding plasma moving at nearly the speed of light. The simulations show that these systems may produce X-rays and gamma rays that future observatories should be able to detect. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 }, "main_video": null, "main_credits": { "Scientific consulting by": [ { "name": "Dimitrios Skiathas", "employer": "Southeastern Universities Research Association" } ] }, "progress": "Complete", "media_groups": [ { "id": 379098, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379098", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "New supercomputer simulations explore the tangled magnetic structures around merging neutron stars. These structures, called magnetospheres, interact as the city-sized stars enter their final orbits. Magnetic field lines can connect both stars, break, and reconnect, while currents surge through surrounding plasma moving at nearly the speed of light. The simulations show that these systems may produce X-rays and gamma rays that future observatories should be able to detect.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Alt text: Narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheres

Music: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production Music

Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.

Complete transcript available.

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Just before orbiting neutron stars merge, the magnetic fields and plasma around them, called magnetospheres, become entangled. The new simulations studied the last several orbits before the merger, when the magnetospheres undergo rapid and dramatic changes, and modeled potentially observable high-energy signals.

Neutron star mergers produce a particular type of GRB (gamma-ray burst), the most powerful class of explosions in the cosmos. They create near-light-speed jets that emit gamma rays, powerful ripples in space-time called gravitational waves, and a so-called kilonova explosion that forges heavy elements like gold and platinum. So far, only one event, observed in 2017, has connected all three phenomena.

Neutron stars pack more mass than our Sun into a ball about 15 miles (24 kilometers) across, roughly the length of Manhattan Island in New York City. Born out of supernova explosions, neutron stars can spin dozens of times a second and wield some of the strongest magnetic fields known, up to 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet. That’s strong enough to directly transform gamma-rays into electrons and positrons and rapidly accelerate them to energies far beyond anything achievable in particle accelerators on Earth.

In the simulations, which were performed on the Pleiades supercomputer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, the linked magnetospheres behave like a magnetic circuit that continually rewires itself as the stars orbit. Field lines connect, break, and reconnect while currents surge through plasma moving at nearly the speed of light, and the rapidly varying fields can accelerate particles to high energies.

The team ran hundreds of simulations of a system of two orbiting neutron stars, each with 1.4 solar masses. The goal was to explore how different magnetic field configurations affected the way electromagnetic energy &emdash; light in all of its forms &emdash; left the coalescing system.

The research shows that the emitted light varies rapidly in brightness and is not distributed evenly, so what a far-away observer might detect depends on their perspective on the merger. In addition, the way the signals strengthen as the stars get closer and closer depends on the relative magnetic orientations of the neutron stars.

If next-generation gravitational wave observatories can provide an early warning, future ground-based gamma-ray telescopes will be able to team up with space-based X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes to begin searching for the pre-merger emission seen in these simulations. Routine observation of events like these using two different “messengers” — light and gravitational waves — will provide a major leap forward in understanding this class of GRBs.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379099, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379099", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This simulation shows orbiting magnetized neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. The stars’ magnetic fields and high-energy plasma strongly interact before they collide, producing electromagnetic energy — light in all its forms — that exits the system. The intensity and direction of this emission varies greatly as the merger proceeds. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. This view observes the system from the orbital plane of the two neutron stars, which are 34 miles (54 kilometers) apart at the start of the video. The model neutron stars are about 15 miles (24 kilometers) across and contain 1.4 times the Sun’s mass.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Orbital plane view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission

", "items": [ { "id": 502915, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159423, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_Equatorial_Still.jpg", "filename": "Poynting_Equatorial_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This simulation shows orbiting magnetized neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. The stars’ magnetic fields and high-energy plasma strongly interact before they collide, producing electromagnetic energy — light in all its forms — that exits the system. The intensity and direction of this emission varies greatly as the merger proceeds. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. This view observes the system from the orbital plane of the two neutron stars, which are 34 miles (54 kilometers) apart at the start of the video. The model neutron stars are about 15 miles (24 kilometers) across and contain 1.4 times the Sun’s mass. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Orbital plane view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 502916, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159450, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_flux_equatorial.mp4", "filename": "Poynting_flux_equatorial.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This simulation shows orbiting magnetized neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. The stars’ magnetic fields and high-energy plasma strongly interact before they collide, producing electromagnetic energy — light in all its forms — that exits the system. The intensity and direction of this emission varies greatly as the merger proceeds. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. This view observes the system from the orbital plane of the two neutron stars, which are 34 miles (54 kilometers) apart at the start of the video. The model neutron stars are about 15 miles (24 kilometers) across and contain 1.4 times the Sun’s mass. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Orbital plane view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379100, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379100", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission

", "items": [ { "id": 502917, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159425, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_Above_Still.jpg", "filename": "Poynting_Above_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 502918, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159449, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_flux_above.mp4", "filename": "Poynting_flux_above.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379101, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379101", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission

", "items": [ { "id": 502919, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159427, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_Inclined_Still.jpg", "filename": "Poynting_Inclined_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 502920, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159451, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Poynting_flux_inclined.mp4", "filename": "Poynting_flux_inclined.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger showing electromagnetic emission", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379102, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379102", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This simulation shows the interacting magnetic field lines of modeled neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. Both stars host powerful magnetic fields of the same strength but with different orientations, indicated by magenta arrows. Red and yellow indicate filed lines originating and terminating on the same star. Orange lines connect one star to the other, and gray represents open field lines, which sweep behind the stars as they orbit. As the stars converge, closed field lines break and reconfigure, driving powerful currents through plasma moving near the speed of light.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Equatorial view of merging neutron star magnetic fields

", "items": [ { "id": 504603, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159431, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_Equatorial_Still.jpg", "filename": "Lines_Equatorial_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This simulation shows the interacting magnetic field lines of modeled neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. Both stars host powerful magnetic fields of the same strength but with different orientations, indicated by magenta arrows. Red and yellow indicate filed lines originating and terminating on the same star. Orange lines connect one star to the other, and gray represents open field lines, which sweep behind the stars as they orbit. As the stars converge, closed field lines break and reconfigure, driving powerful currents through plasma moving near the speed of light. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Equatorial view of merging neutron star magnetic fields ", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 504604, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159447, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_equatorial.mp4", "filename": "Lines_equatorial.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This simulation shows the interacting magnetic field lines of modeled neutron stars (gray spheres) beginning about 0.03 seconds before their surfaces come into contact. Both stars host powerful magnetic fields of the same strength but with different orientations, indicated by magenta arrows. Red and yellow indicate filed lines originating and terminating on the same star. Orange lines connect one star to the other, and gray represents open field lines, which sweep behind the stars as they orbit. As the stars converge, closed field lines break and reconfigure, driving powerful currents through plasma moving near the speed of light. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Equatorial view of merging neutron star magnetic fields ", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379109, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379109", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines

", "items": [ { "id": 504609, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159430, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_Above_Still.jpg", "filename": "Lines_Above_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 504610, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159446, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_above.mp4", "filename": "Lines_above.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking down along the system’s orbital axis.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Top view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379105, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379105", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines

", "items": [ { "id": 504611, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159421, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_Inclined_Still.jpg", "filename": "Lines_Inclined_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } }, { "id": 504612, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159448, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Lines_inclined.mp4", "filename": "Lines_inclined.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Same as above but looking at the system from 45 degrees above the orbital plane.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Oblique view of neutron star merger magnetic field lines", "width": 5760, "height": 3240, "pixels": 18662400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379227, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379227", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This oblique view of the merging neutron star simulation highlights regions producing the highest-energy light. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. These regions produce gamma rays with energies trillions of times greater than that of visible light, but likely none of it could escape. That’s because the highest-energy gamma rays quickly convert to particles in the presence of such powerful magnetic fields. However, gamma rays at lower energies, with millions of times the energy of visible light, can exit the merging system, and the resulting particles may also radiate at still lower energies, including X-rays. The emission varies rapidly and is highly directional, but it could potentially be detected by future facilities.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025

Alt text: Simulation showing highest-energy light from merging neutron stars

", "items": [ { "id": 502912, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159927, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/NS_EmissionRegions_Still.jpg", "filename": "NS_EmissionRegions_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This oblique view of the merging neutron star simulation highlights regions producing the highest-energy light. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. These regions produce gamma rays with energies trillions of times greater than that of visible light, but likely none of it could escape. That’s because the highest-energy gamma rays quickly convert to particles in the presence of such powerful magnetic fields. However, gamma rays at lower energies, with millions of times the energy of visible light, can exit the merging system, and the resulting particles may also radiate at still lower energies, including X-rays. The emission varies rapidly and is highly directional, but it could potentially be detected by future facilities. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Simulation showing highest-energy light from merging neutron stars", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 502911, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1159926, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/Emission_Regions.mp4", "filename": "Emission_Regions.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This oblique view of the merging neutron star simulation highlights regions producing the highest-energy light. Brighter colors indicate stronger emission. These regions produce gamma rays with energies trillions of times greater than that of visible light, but likely none of it could escape. That’s because the highest-energy gamma rays quickly convert to particles in the presence of such powerful magnetic fields. However, gamma rays at lower energies, with millions of times the energy of visible light, can exit the merging system, and the resulting particles may also radiate at still lower energies, including X-rays. The emission varies rapidly and is highly directional, but it could potentially be detected by future facilities. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/D. Skiathas et al. 2025Alt text: Simulation showing highest-energy light from merging neutron stars", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379511, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379511", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Alt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheres

Music: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production Music

Complete transcript available.

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Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 504521, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195935, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final_Small.mp4", "filename": "14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final_Small.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 504519, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195933, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final.mp4", "filename": "14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 504520, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195934, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final_NoToS.mp4", "filename": "14884_NeutronStarBinarySimulation_REEL_Final_NoToS.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1080, "height": 1920, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 504523, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195937, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/NeutronStarBinarySimulationREELCaptions.en_US.srt", "filename": "NeutronStarBinarySimulationREELCaptions.en_US.srt", "media_type": "Captions", "alt_text": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "label": "English", "language_code": "en-US" } }, { "id": 504524, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195938, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014800/a014884/NeutronStarBinarySimulationREELCaptions.en_US.vtt", "filename": "NeutronStarBinarySimulationREELCaptions.en_US.vtt", "media_type": "Captions", "alt_text": "Shorter vertical version of the narrated video. Versions with and without on-screen text for the narration are available (the no-text version has \"NoToS\" in the file name).Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAlt text: Short narrated video introducing simulations of merging neutron star magnetospheresMusic: “A Theory Develops,” Pip Heywood [PRS], Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "label": "English", "language_code": "en-US" } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379592, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14884/#media_group_379592", "widget": "Basic text", "title": "For More Information", "caption": "", "description": "See [NASA.gov](https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/nasa-researchers-probe-tangled-magnetospheres-of-merging-neutron-stars/)", "items": [], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "eMITS" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Francis Reddy", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] }, { "role": "Scientist", "people": [ { "name": "Dimitrios Skiathas", "employer": "Southeastern Universities Research Association" }, { "name": "Constantinos Kalapotharakos", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" }, { "name": "Demosthenes Kazanas", "employer": "NASA/GSFC" }, { "name": "Zorawar Wadiasingh", "employer": "University of Maryland, College Park" } ] } ], "missions": [], "series": [ "Astrophysics Features", "Astrophysics Simulations", "Narrated Movies" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [ "Magnetosphere Evolution and Precursor-driven Electromagnetic Signals in Merging Binary Neutron Stars. 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The nature of matter under these conditions is a decades-old unsolved problem.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 11530, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11530/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Neutron Stars Rip Each Other Apart to Form Black Hole", "description": "This supercomputer simulation shows one of the most violent events in the universe: a pair of neutron stars colliding, merging and forming a black hole. A neutron star is the compressed core left behind when a star born with between eight and 30 times the sun's mass explodes as a supernova. Neutron stars pack about 1.5 times the mass of the sun — equivalent to about half a million Earths — into a ball just 12 miles (20 km) across. As the simulation begins, we view an unequally matched pair of neutron stars weighing 1.4 and 1.7 solar masses. They are separated by only about 11 miles, slightly less distance than their own diameters. Redder colors show regions of progressively lower density. As the stars spiral toward each other, intense tides begin to deform them, possibly cracking their crusts. Neutron stars possess incredible density, but their surfaces are comparatively thin, with densities about a million times greater than gold. Their interiors crush matter to a much greater degree densities rise by 100 million times in their centers. To begin to imagine such mind-boggling densities, consider that a cubic centimeter of neutron star matter outweighs Mount Everest. By 7 milliseconds, tidal forces overwhelm and shatter the lesser star. Its superdense contents erupt into the system and curl a spiral arm of incredibly hot material. At 13 milliseconds, the more massive star has accumulated too much mass to support it against gravity and collapses, and a new black hole is born. The black hole's event horizon — its point of no return — is shown by the gray sphere. While most of the matter from both neutron stars will fall into the black hole, some of the less dense, faster moving matter manages to orbit around it, quickly forming a large and rapidly rotating torus. This torus extends for about 124 miles (200 km) and contains the equivalent of 1/5th the mass of our sun. The entire simulation covers only 20 milliseconds.Scientists think neutron star mergers like this produce short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Short GRBs last less than two seconds yet unleash as much energy as all the stars in our galaxy produce over one year. The rapidly fading afterglow of these explosions presents a challenge to astronomers. A key element in understanding GRBs is getting instruments on large ground-based telescopes to capture afterglows as soon as possible after the burst. The rapid notification and accurate positions provided by NASA's Swift mission creates a vibrant synergy with ground-based observatories that has led to dramatically improved understanding of GRBs, especially for short bursts. || ", "release_date": "2014-05-13T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-08-14T22:44:52.133586-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 455853, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011530/NS_Merger_Frame_200_1080.jpg", "filename": "NS_Merger_Frame_200_1080.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Edited video with music of the 4k neutron star merger simulation.Credit: NASA/AEI/ZIB/M. Koppitz and L. RezzollaMusic: \"Approaching Eclipse\" from stock music site Killer TracksWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 10740, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10740/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "When Neutron Stars Collide", "description": "Armed with state-of-the-art supercomputer models, scientists have shown that colliding neutron stars can produce the energetic jet required for a gamma-ray burst. Earlier simulations demonstrated that mergers could make black holes. Others had shown that the high-speed particle jets needed to make a gamma-ray burst would continue if placed in the swirling wreckage of a recent merger. Now, the simulations reveal the middle step of the process—how the merging stars' magnetic field organizes itself into outwardly directed components capable of forming a jet. The Damiana supercomputer at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics needed six weeks to reveal the details of a process that unfolds in just 35 thousandths of a second—less than the blink of an eye.For the researchers' website, with more video and stills of their simulations, go here. || ", "release_date": "2011-04-07T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-08-14T22:44:54.072536-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 487308, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010740/Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_3.jpg", "filename": "Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_3.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "State-of-the-art supercomputer models show that merging neutron stars can power a short gamma-ray burst.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }