Speaker
Alexander Potekhin
(Ioffe Institute; Pulkovo Observatory)
Description
Modern space telescopes have provided a wealth of valuable
information on thermal radiation of neutron stars which,
when properly interpreted, can elucidate the physics of
superdense matter in the interior of these stars. Strong
magnetic fields profoundly change the equation of state and
radiative opacities in the surface layers of neutron stars
and thus affect their thermal spectra. Theory of these
effects is reviewed in the talk, including the conventional
models of deep (semi-infinite) atmospheres, models of
"naked" neutron stars with condensed radiative surfaces, and
"thin" (finite) atmosphere models, with examples of
application of the theory to tentative interpretations of
some observed neutron-star thermal spectra.
Primary author
Alexander Potekhin
(Ioffe Institute; Pulkovo Observatory)
