List of most massive neutron stars

Neutron stars are the gravitational collapsed core of massive stars (9-10 solar masses) that have gone supernova. ^[1] They are some of the densest objects in the universe only being surpassed by black holes. They generally have masses in the order of 1.5 solar masses compact into an area of just 12 kilometers. ^[2] Currently the largest neutron stars that has been discovered is PSR J1748-2021B which has a mass of 2.5 solar masses.

Below is a list of high-mass neutron stars.

Name	Mass (M☉)	Distance (ly)	Companion class	Mass determination method	Notes	Refs.
PSR J1748-2021B	2.548+0.047 −0.078	27,700	D	Rate of advance of periastron.	In globular cluster NGC 6440.	[3] [1] [2] [4]
4U 1700-37	2.44±0.27	6,910 ± 1,120	O6.5Iaf+	Monte Carlo simulations of thermal comptonization process.	HMXB system.	[5] [6]
PSR J2017-1614	2.4±0.6	4,570	Substellar object		Black widow pulsar, in a tight 2.3 hour binary.	[7]
PSR J0952–0607	2.35±0.17	3,200–5,700	Substellar object	Radio-measured Shapiro delay	Black widow pulsar. Fastest spinning galactic pulsar.	[8]
PSR J1311–3430	2.15–2.7	6,500–12,700	Substellar object	Spectroscopic and photometric observation.	Black widow pulsar.	[9] [10]
PSR J1600−3053	2.3+0.7 −0.6	6,500 ± 1,000	D	Fourier analysis of Shapiro delay's orthometric ratio.		[11] [12]
PSR J2215+5135	2.27+0.17 −0.15	10,000	G5V	Innovative measurement of companion's radial velocity.	Redback pulsar.	[13]
XMMU J013236.7+303228	2.2+0.8 −0.6	2,730,000	B1.5IV	Detailed spectroscopic modelling.	In M33, HMXB system.	[14]
PSR J0751+1807	2.10±0.2	6,500 ± 1,300	D	Precision pulse timing measurements of relativistic orbital decay.		[15]
PSR J0740+6620	2.08±0.07	4,600	D	Range and shape parameter of Shapiro delay.	Most massive neutron star with a well-constrained mass.	[16] [17] [18]
PSR J0348+0432	2.01±0.04	2,100	D	Spectroscopic observation and orbital decay due to radiation of gravitational waves.		[11] [19]
PSR J1518+0204B (M5B)	1.981	24,500	M6-8V?		In the globular cluster, M5. In a 7 day binary with a low-mass 0.11-0.13 M☉ red dwarf.	[20]
PSR B1516+02B	1.94+0.17 −0.19	24,500	D	Rate of advance of periastron.	In globular cluster M5.	[11] [21]
PSR J1614−2230	1.908±0.016	3,900	D	Range and shape parameter of Shapiro delay.	In Milky Way's galactic disk.	[11] [12] [22]
Vela X-1	1.88±0.13	6,200 ± 650	B0.5Ib	Rate of advance of periastron.	Prototypical detached HMXB system.	[23]
PSR J2222–0137	1.831	871	D		Companion is a white dwarf which is one of the most massive at 1.319 M☉	[24]
PSR B1957+20	1.81±0.17	6,500	Substellar object	Rate of advance of periastron.	Prototype star of black widow pulsars.	[25] [26] [27]
SWIFT J1756.9-2508	1.8±0.4	26,100	Substellar object		Hosts one planet, it is notable for orbiting its star in 54 minutes.	[28] [29]

See also

• Astronomy portal
• Physics portal

• Blitzar
• List of least massive black holes
• List of most massive black holes
• List of neutron stars
• Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit
• Quark star

References

1. Clifford, Nicholas; Scott, M.Ransom (13 May 2019). "Long-Term Timing of Pulsars in NGC 6440: An Updated Mass Limit of Millisecond Pulsar J1748-2021B" (PDF). www.virginia.edu. University of Virginia – Department of Astronomy, Charlottesville.
2. Rocha, Livia Silva; Bachega, R.R.A; Horvath, J.E; Moraes, P.H.R.S (15 Jul 2021). "The maximum mass of neutron stars may be higher than expected: an inference from binary systems / IV.Conclusions… PSR J1748-2021B = 2.59±0.08 M_☉". University of São Paulo. arXiv: 2107.08822 . Bibcode:2021arXiv210708822R.
3. Jiang, Jin-Liang; Tang, Shao-Peng; Wang, Yuan-Zhu; Fan, Yi-Zhong; Wei, Da-Ming (20 March 2020). "Joint Constraints on Equation of State and Bulk Properties of Neutron Stars / 1.Introduction… PSR J1748-2021B = 2.548+0.047
   −0.078 M_☉". The American Astronomical Society (Astrophysical Journal). 892:55 (1): 55. arXiv: 1912.07467 . Bibcode:2020ApJ...892...55J. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab77cf .
4. Lattimer, James M. (2015-02-25). "Introduction to Neutron Stars". AIP Conference Proceedings. 1645 (1): 61–78. Bibcode:2015AIPC.1645...61L. doi: 10.1063/1.4909560 .
5. Clark, J. S.; Goodwin, S. P.; Crowther, P. A.; Kaper, L.; Fairbairn, M.; Langer, N.; Brocksopp, C. (2002). "Physical parameters of the high-mass X-ray binary 4U1700-37". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 392 (3): 909–920. arXiv: astro-ph/0207334 . Bibcode:2002A&A...392..909C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20021184. S2CID   119552560.
6. Martinez-Chicharro, M.; Torrej ́on, J. M.; Oskinova, L.; F ̈urst, F.; Postnov, K.; Rodes-Roca, J. J.; Hainich, R.; Bodaghee, A. (2018). "Evidence of Compton cooling during an X-ray flare supports a neutron star nature of the compact object in 4U1700−37". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 473 (1): L74 –L78. arXiv: 1710.01907 . Bibcode:2018MNRAS.473L..74M. doi: 10.1093/mnrasl/slx165 . S2CID   56539478.
7. Bobakov, Alexander (2024). "Two black widow pulsars in the optical and X-rays". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 690: A173. arXiv: 2407.17187 . Bibcode:2024A&A...690A.173B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202450205.
8. Romani, Roger W.; Kandel, D.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Brink, Thomas G.; Zheng, WeiKang (2022-08-01). "PSR J0952−0607: The Fastest and Heaviest Known Galactic Neutron Star". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 934 (2): L17. arXiv: 2207.05124 . Bibcode:2022ApJ...934L..17R. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac8007 . ISSN   2041-8205. S2CID   250451299.
9. Romani, Roger W.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Silverman, Jeffery M.; Cenko, S. Bradley; Greiner, Jochen; Rau, Arne; Elliott, Jonathan; Pletsch, Holger J. (2012-10-25). "PSR J1311-3430: A Heavyweight Neutron Star with a Flyweight Helium Companion". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 760 (2): L36. arXiv: 1210.6884 . Bibcode:2012ApJ...760L..36R. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/760/2/L36. S2CID   56207483.
10. Romani, Roger W. (2012-10-01). "2FGL J1311.7−3429 Joins the Black Widow club". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 754 (2): L25. arXiv: 1207.1736 . Bibcode:2012ApJ...754L..25R. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/754/2/L25. S2CID   119262868.
11. Elavsky, F; Geller, A. "Masses in the Stellar Graveyard". Northwestern University.
12. Arzoumanian, Zaven; Brazier, Adam; Burke-Spolaor, Sarah; Chamberlin, Sydney; Chatterjee, Shami; Christy, Brian; Cordes, James M.; Cornish, Neil J.; Crawford, Fronefield; Cromartie, H. Thankful (2018). "The NANOGrav 11-year Data Set: High-precision Timing of 45 Millisecond Pulsars". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 235 (2): 37. arXiv: 1801.01837 . Bibcode:2018ApJS..235...37A. doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/aab5b0 . hdl:1959.3/443169. S2CID   13739724.
13. Linares, M.; Shahbaz, T.; Casares, J.; Grossan, Bruce (2018). "Peering into the Dark Side: Magnesium Lines Establish a Massive Neutron Star in PSR J2215+5135". The Astrophysical Journal. 859 (1): 54. arXiv: 1805.08799 . Bibcode:2018ApJ...859...54L. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/aabde6 . S2CID   73601673.
14. Bhalerao, Varun B.; Van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Harrison, Fiona A. (2012). "Constraints on the Compact Object Mass in the Eclipsing High-mass X-Ray Binary XMMU J013236.7+303228 in M 33". The Astrophysical Journal. 757 (1): 10. arXiv: 1207.0008 . Bibcode:2012ApJ...757...10B. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/757/1/10. S2CID   29852395.
15. Nice, David J.; Splaver, Eric M.; Stairs, Ingrid H.; Loehmer, Oliver; Jessner, Axel; Kramer, Michael; Cordes, James M. (2005). "A 2.1 Solar Mass Pulsar Measured by Relativistic Orbital Decay". The Astrophysical Journal. 634 (2): 1242–1249. arXiv: astro-ph/0508050 . Bibcode:2005ApJ...634.1242N. doi:10.1086/497109. S2CID   16597533.
16. Fonseca, E.; Cromartie, H. T.; Pennucci, T. T.; Ray, P. S.; Kirichenko, A. Yu; Ransom, S. M.; Demorest, P. B.; Stairs, I. H.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Guillemot, L.; Parthasarathy, A. (1 July 2021). "Refined Mass and Geometric Measurements of the High-mass PSR J0740+6620". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 915 (1): L12. arXiv: 2104.00880 . Bibcode:2021ApJ...915L..12F. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac03b8 . ISSN   2041-8205. S2CID   233004363.
17. Kohler, Susanna (16 August 2021). "Reweighing a Heavy Neutron Star" . Retrieved 2021-08-20.
18. Cromartie, H. T.; Fonseca, E.; Ransom, S. M.; et al. (2019). "Relativistic Shapiro delay measurements of an extremely massive millisecond pulsar". Nature Astronomy. 4: 72–76. arXiv: 1904.06759 . Bibcode:2020NatAs...4...72C. doi:10.1038/s41550-019-0880-2. S2CID   118647384.
19. Demorest, P. B.; Pennucci, T.; Ransom, S. M.; Roberts, M. S. E.; Hessels, J. W. T. (2010). "A two-solar-mass neutron star measured using Shapiro delay". Nature. 467 (7319): 1081–1083. arXiv: 1010.5788 . Bibcode:2010Natur.467.1081D. doi:10.1038/nature09466. PMID   20981094. S2CID   205222609.
20. Zhang, Lei (2023). "Discovery and Timing of Millisecond Pulsars in the Globular Cluster M5 with FAST and Arecibo". The Astrophysical Journal. 269 (2): 56. arXiv: 2312.05835 . Bibcode:2023ApJS..269...56Z. doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/acfb03 .
21. Freire, Paulo C. C. (2008). "Super-Massive Neutron Stars". AIP Conference Proceedings. 983: 459–463. arXiv: 0712.0024 . Bibcode:2008AIPC..983..459F. doi:10.1063/1.2900274. S2CID   18565598.
22. Crawford, F.; Roberts, M. S. E.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Ransom, S. M.; Livingstone, M.; Tam, C. R.; Kaspi, V. M. (2006). "A Survey of 56 Midlatitude EGRET Error Boxes for Radio Pulsars". The Astrophysical Journal. 652 (2): 1499–1507. arXiv: astro-ph/0608225 . Bibcode:2006ApJ...652.1499C. doi:10.1086/508403. S2CID   522064.
23. Quaintrell, H.; et al. (2003). "The mass of the neutron star in Vela X-1 and tidally induced non-radial oscillations in GP Vel". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 401: 313–324. arXiv: astro-ph/0301243 . Bibcode:2003A&A...401..313Q. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030120. S2CID   5602110.
24. Guo, Yanjun (2021). "PSR J2222−0137". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 654: A16. arXiv: 2107.09474 . doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202141450.
25. Van Kerkwijk, M. H.; Breton, R. P.; Kulkarni, S. R. (2011). "Evidence for a Massive Neutron Star from a Radial-Velocity Study of the Companion to the Black-Widow Pulsar Psr B1957+20". The Astrophysical Journal. 728 (2): 95. arXiv: 1009.5427 . Bibcode:2011ApJ...728...95V. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/728/2/95. S2CID   37759376.
26. Clark, C. J.; Kerr, M.; Barr, E. D.; Bhattacharyya, B.; Breton, R. P.; Bruel, P.; Camilo, F.; Chen, W.; Cognard, I.; Cromartie, H. T.; Deneva, J.; Dhillon, V. S.; Guillemot, L.; Kennedy, M. R.; Kramer, M. (2023-01-26). "Neutron star mass estimates from gamma-ray eclipses in spider millisecond pulsar binaries". Nature Astronomy. 7 (4): 451–462. arXiv: 2301.10995 . Bibcode:2023NatAs...7..451C. doi:10.1038/s41550-022-01874-x. ISSN   2397-3366. PMC   10119022 . PMID   37096051. S2CID   256274563.
27. "Gamma-ray eclipses shed new light on spider pulsars". www.aei.mpg.de. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
28. Krimm, Hans (2007). "ERRATUM: "DISCOVERY OF THE ACCRETION-POWERED MILLISECOND PULSAR SWIFT J1756.9-2508 WITH a LOW-MASS COMPANION" (2007, ApJ, 668, L147)". The Astrophysical Journal. 703 (2): L183. arXiv: 0709.1693 . doi:10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/L183.
29. "The Extrasolar Planet Encyclopaedia — SWIFT J1756-2508 b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia . Paris Observatory . Retrieved 2025-02-17.