Speaker
Description
More than 50 years after the discovery of neutrons stars, their interior composition and structure remains unknown. Because the extreme densities and matter asymmetry in neutron star interiors are out of reach for Earth laboratories, the equation of state of bulk nuclear matter is unknown, with important implication for astrophysics and nuclear physics. Thankfully, measurements of neutron stars masses and radii are direct probes of the interior of these compact objects. In the past two decades, X-ray observatories have provided some measurements of neutron star radii and therefore some constraints on the dense matter equation of state. Recently, the results from the NICER Observatory resulted in the most promising, robust and precise results. I will review some of the key results from the NICER mission, give an overview of other existing measurements of masses and radii, and provide an overview of expected constraints from future observatories.
