The Neutrino Cooling of Neutron Stars

Neutron stars are strong neutrinos emitters.  The
power radiated by a neutron star as neutrinos far outstrips
the power radiated as x-rays from the photosphere.  Three
processes are responsible for generating the neutrinos: the
direct Urca process, the modified Urca process, and the
neutrino bremsstrahlung process.  The first process is rapid;
it  operates at the cores of the most massive neutron
stars.  The remaining-two processes, which operate throughout
a neutrons star, cool the neutron star more slowly.  The
neutrino emission cools a neutron star in only 100,000 years.

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