2015 Participants

Drew Baxter

  • MMath (Hons) Mathematics
  • Instabilities of the Magnetic Field in a Neutron Star

A neutron star is an extremely dense ball, consisting mostly of neutrons, that is a remnant of the supernova explosion of a massive star.  This project concerns the magnetic fields of these stars, specifically the instabilities that determine the shape of the magnetic field.  We will use mathematical analysis and computer simulations to produce a dynamical model of the electric currents inside the star, and the nature of the magnetic field that these currents produce.

Project Supervisor: Dr Toby Wood, School of Mathematics & Statistics

Funding Source: Newcastle University