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Q&A: Supernova Remnants and Neutron Stars
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Q:
Why do
neutron stars have strong magnetic fields?
A:
A neutron star is formed when a massive star collapses - if the star has
a magnetic field of approximately the strength of the Sun's magnetic
field (a few gauss), the magnetic field is compressed when it collapses
and the field is amplified by the ratio of the volumes (again
approximately), which is 1.25 x 1014. Please see this page for
details:
http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/ask/a11654.html
The Chandra pages have a plethora of information on neutron stars and
stellar evolution. We suggest you start here:
http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/stellar_ev/story/index.html
and note that pages 11 and 12 of this section contain the neutron star
information, although the entire section will help you understand the
process of stellar birth and death.
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