Scientists at the Copernicus Astronomical Center in Warsaw, Poland have suggested that there is a mountain on the neutron star J1023 + 0038. A related study is published on arXiv.org and briefly reported by New Scientist.
In one second, the neutron star J1023 + 0038 makes 600 revolutions around its axis. Due to energy losses, every billion years the frequency of rotation of the luminary must decrease by 76 revolutions per second. Observations carried out by scientists have revealed deviations in the behavior of J1023 + 0038.
It turned out that the neutron star switches between two radiation modes: in the radio and X-ray ranges. In the latter case, the speed of J1023 + 0038 is reduced by 30 percent. Scientists have found an explanation for this behavior of the star.
Since J1023 + 0038 has a companion star, matter gradually flows from the second to the first. This, scientists believe, leads to the formation of a bulge on the surface of J1023 + 0038 a few millimeters high.
Astronomers believe that a direct way to detect a mountain on a neutron star would be possible by analyzing its gravitational radiation.
A typical neutron star has about the same mass as the Sun, while its diameter is 10-20 kilometers. The core of the luminary consists of neutrons, the thin crust - atomic nuclei and electrons. Nuclear forces prevent the gravitational compression of a celestial body; a neutron star is distinguished from other stars by an almost ideal spherically symmetric shape.