From nuclei to neutron stars: simple binding energy computer modelling in the classroom (part 2)

TL;DR

This paper presents two accessible online activities using spreadsheets to help secondary students understand key properties of neutron stars, such as their minimum and maximum masses, through simple models and concepts.

Contribution

It introduces adaptable, spreadsheet-based classroom activities that explore neutron star physics, linking basic concepts to advanced discussions on model limits.

Findings

Activities effectively illustrate neutron star properties.

Students engage with concepts of binding energy and mass limits.

Activities are adaptable for different educational levels.

Abstract

We introduce two simple online activities to explore the physics of neutron stars. These provide an introduction to the basic properties of compact objects, like their masses and radii, for secondary school students. The first activity explores the idea of the minimum mass of a neutron star. It is directly linked to the concept of binding energy and follows on from our previous activities. The second activity focuses on the maximum mass of neutron stars using a solvable model of the neutron star interior. The activities are based on spreadsheets, provided as Supplementary Material, and can be easily adapted to different levels, age groups and discussion topics. In particular, these activities can naturally lead towards discussions on extrapolations and limits of theoretical models.