Earth-like planet orbiting neutron star?
A neutron star is a type of compact star that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star after a supernova. Neutron stars are the densest and smallest stars known to exist in the Universe; with a radius of only about $11"“11.5~\text{km}$ (7 miles), they can have a mass of about twice that of the Sun.
I am not yet ready to consider the formation of such a planet, as a planet orbiting what is now a neutron star would have been destroyed instantly during that star's supernova phase.
For the sake of this question, let's go ahead and consider that this Earth-like planet was placed here by advanced alien species after the star's supernova collapse.
The average surface temperature of an average neutron star is around $10^{6}~\text{K}$, which is a fair bit more than our Sun's modest $5.7\cdot 10^{3}~\text{K}$. Not to say that this is the only problem, but it is the obvious one that I would like addressed in an answer.
Is a large orbit to compensate for such heat feasible? Will the neutron star's gravitational pull allow for a stable orbit?
This question itself deals with the orbit, radiation exposure, and placement of the planet, another question will probably ask about the biology; however, most of these answers make prospects pretty dim.
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1 answer
Neutron stars, while small, have a lot of mass. A neutron star with a diameter of 22 kilometers could have twice the mass of the sun, so large orbits are possible.
Actually, because of the threat of time dilation a large orbit may be necessary.
Unfortunately, while the surface is a lot hotter, it's also a lot smaller, which means that the actual amount of heat coming off of it is less.
It's like an acetylene blowtorch compared to a propane space heater. While the blowtorch is a lot hotter, it is also smaller, so a space heater can easily out heat it.
The radiation it produces may be an issue too.
Edit:
Actually, the radiation could be useful. Since the planet is possibly an artifact, then the creators would have taken it into account.
So if the planet was heavy in x-ray absorbing materials like metals, it would warm up a lot more than normal dirt in sunlight, and to a greater depth. This absorbed energy would then be radiated out as heat.
The earth's atmosphere absorbs a lot of radiation. With a thick enough atmosphere the radiation could be knocked down from deadly to "don't stand in the sun to long"
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