Neutron stars – collapsed remnants of massive stars – contain the densest matter in the observable Universe, with one teaspoon of their interiors weighing a staggering 10 million tons. Despite their extremely small size, recent years have witnessed an unprecedented flow of gravitational-wave and X-ray data on their properties, informing us not only about their outer characteristics but also about the detailed properties of the matter they contain. The new Centre of Excellence in Neutron-Star Physics will join nuclear, particle and astrophysics experts in Finnish universities to work on a common goal: to better understand the nature of these enigmatic objects and to solve long-standing mysteries of fundamental physics. We will study the origins of heavy elements and fast radio bursts, find out if a new phase of matter can be found inside neutron-star cores, and strive for a detailed understanding of the structure and dynamics of the neutron-star surface and magnetosphere.

2026

2028