starquake

A starquake is a theoretical phenomenon that could occur in neutron stars. Neutron stars are the incredibly dense remnants of massive stars that have exploded as supernovae. They are composed primarily of neutrons, packed together so tightly that a teaspoonful would weigh billions of tons.

The intense gravity and exotic matter within a neutron star can create immense internal stresses. When these stresses build up to a critical point, the star's crust can fracture, similar to how the Earth's crust experiences earthquakes. This rapid release of stored energy is what is referred to as a starquake.

The most observable effect of a starquake would likely be a sudden, temporary increase in the neutron star's rotation rate, known as a "glitch." This happens because the outer crust, which is spinning slower, suddenly speeds up to match the interior of the star. Starquakes could also potentially emit gravitational waves, ripples in spacetime, which astronomers might be able to detect.

While starquakes are a well-accepted theoretical concept in astrophysics, directly observing them is challenging due to the difficulty of observing neutron stars themselves. However, the study of glitches in pulsar rotation rates provides strong indirect evidence for their existence. Understanding starquakes helps scientists learn more about the extreme physics governing neutron stars and the behavior of matter under immense pressure.