A Red Giant with a Neutron Star at its core: The strange world of the Thorne-Zytkow Object

The Thorne-Zytkow object is a star within a star. It happens when a neutron star and a red supergiant star collide. Come with me as we explore these extreme stellar objects.

[luckylmj]

2:17 Minor correction: Iron fusion *can* happen, it just uses more energy to do so than is released, unlike every lighter element.

[WinVisten]

Why doesn't the neutron star rip a tunnel through the red giant as it plunges its way in? I was originally going to ask why the neutron star wouldn't shred it, but then I remembered how huge a red supergiant is, that even a neutron star's extremely strong gravity probably wouldn't be able to shred one.

[borisbadaxe]

Soft and chewy on the outside, hard and crunchy on the inside!

[Turboy]

Now imagine, what would happen if the internal neutron star were a magnetar?

[APopov]

Keep on doing these videos! One minor suggestion: at 0:42 mark it is a bit hard to understand cross-section of star because you used the same material for inner and outer parts of star.

[ValkyrieofNOLA]

Emily Levesque did a great lecture on stellar evolution at the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics on weird stars and it’s one of my absolute favorite lectures ever! I am so obsessed with astronomy and astrophysics but I regret not studying it in college, and instead studying Cell and Molecular Biology. I should have majored in physics or something related to astronomy… but thanks to YouTube I can still learn and enjoy all the developments and discoveries!

[robbie]

There is something in the way you speak which includes humility, patience, kindness and wonder. All those qualities talking about stuff I like equals a very happy listener. Thankyou soooo very much! 👻🚀

[strpe]

“Space is big”
“The chances are vanishingly small”
Space being huge af would increase the likelihood of this happening

[GinHindew]

I mean, that is cool and all, but i was expecting an explanation of how a red giant behaves, if the neutron star remains stable at its core
As in, if the red giant explodes, and leaves a neutron star behind, maybe the neutron star inside the red giant would cause some weird conditions to form while the red giant is still alive, maybe dissipating, instead of exploding, or being absorbed into the neutron star, creating some kind of white giant
Two stars colliding and exploding is kinda standards, i guess i was too hyped

[jacplac]

So in a certain way, these objects are like little brothers of quasi-stars.

[jamesbanq]

Gosh I love love love your you got no idea. Thanks for following your heart

[Resetium]

Minor nitpick with the process of neutron creation:
Aren't protons usually red in most atomic models, with neutrons being either gray or blue?

[pcfred]

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

[meaningoftheunicorn]

great video, never heard of this before

[augustagajoshestep]

Very interesting. Didn't know about this one.

[ScienceP]

I discovered your channel recently and I am addicted. Keep up your fantastic work!

[tygerbyrn]

Subbed! Thank you for the good learning. Looking forward to more videos. Ad astra pro terra.

[MarcelNL]

You really have a huge teaspoon.... :-)

[Mernom]

If you want to know more about the details of the mechanics of the birth of a neutron star, the video 'when stars outshine galaxies' is the only one I found that actually explorers the fine details.

[mperlatti]

Wouldn’t a super giant star with a neutron star inside still wobble due to the orbit of the neutron star? Yes. Yes it would…