
Vacuum energy explosions?
Date: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 @ 21:36:50 UTC Topic: Science
Neutron Stars Are Doomed if Vacuum Energy Goes Wild
By Charles Q. Choi/ SPACE.com Contributor/ posted: 20 October 2010
A mind-bogglingly huge buildup of "vacuum energy," which would occur in just milliseconds, could lead the stellar remnants known as neutron stars to instantly collapse or explode, scientists now suggest.
What is often thought of as the empty vacuum of space is actually filled with ghostly energy and virtual particles wavering in and out of existence, a
bizarre prediction of quantum theory that numerous experiments have proven
true.
This
"vacuum
energy," as scientists call it, is usually thought of as extremely
weak at best. But theoretical physicists in Brazil suggest that the immensely
powerful gravitational
fields of neutron stars could "awaken the vacuum," causing its
energy to build up exponentially very quickly....
Full article: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/vacuum-energy-star-explosions-101020.html
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