Question

The following rough approximation seems to show a neutron star at its Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit of 2.17 solar masses and 12km radius, has gravitational binding energy on the same order as its relativistic mass-energy:

3/5 ∗ [(2.17∗1.989∗10³⁰kg)²G/12km ]=6.2∗10⁴⁸J

2.17∗1.989∗10³⁰kg∗c2=3.88∗10⁴⁸J

While numbers and formula I've used are very rough -- which would explain the apparent 60% excess -- it does seem as though once a TOV star has settled down through radiation, just about all of its mass has been effectively converted to energy. Is this correct? If not, how much of its primordial (H, He, etc.) mass has been converted to energy?

Answer 1

The provided calculations suggest that a neutron star at its TOV limit has converted most of its mass to energy. However, the question is about the conversion of primordial mass, which is not addressed by the calculations.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the provided rough approximation, a neutron star at its Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit has gravitational binding energy on the same order as its relativistic mass-energy. While the numbers and formula used are rough, it does suggest that a TOV star, once it has settled down through radiation, has converted most of its mass to energy. However, the question is about how much of its primordial mass (H, He, etc.) has been converted to energy, which is not directly addressed by the given information. These calculations specifically refer to the conversion of mass to energy within a neutron star and do not provide information on the conversion of primordial mass within the star.