European Pulsar Interior Composition Survey

J0348

Neutron stars comprise the densest form of matter in the observable Universe. Their mass distribution contains crucial information about the late evolution of massive stars, the supernova explosion mechanism and the equation-of-state of cold, nuclear matter beyond the nuclear saturation density. Despite their importance, precise NS mass measurements remain challenging to obtain and thus, extremely rare. The European Pulsar Interior Composition Survey (EPICS) is a project, led by Dr. John Antoniadis, that will combine a novel experimental approach with state-of-the-art theoretical modelling to achieve an appreciable increase in the number of precise neutron star mass measurements. These data will lead to unprecedented insights into the mechanisms driving the formation and evolution of neutron stars, as well as the properties of super-dense matter.