On the Behavior of Matter at Extremely High Temperatures and Pressures

After some critical remarks on the current notions of stellar neutron cores the suggestion is set forth that an assembly of neutrons can form, under specified circumstances, two different phases by reason of the attracting forces between neutrons. The hypothetical transition from the dilute to the condensed neutron phase affords a concrete physical basis for the idea advocated by Zwicky that the supernovae originate from the sudden transition of an ordinary star into a centrally condensed one.