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    Star Formatlon

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    The inward collapse of material causes the center of the protostar to become very hot and dense. Once critical levels of temperature and density are reached, nuclear fusion begins, emitting photons and heating the protostar. When the outward pressure from nuclear fusion balances the inward gravitational pressure, the protostar reaches hydrostatic equilibrium and becomes a main sequence star. Low-mass stars have longer lifetimes than high-mass stars due to differences in nuclear fusion rates.

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    Star Formatlon

    Uploaded by

    k
    323 views2 pages
    The inward collapse of material causes the center of the protostar to become very hot and dense. Once critical levels of temperature and density are reached, nuclear fusion begins, emitting photons and heating the protostar. When the outward pressure from nuclear fusion balances the inward gravitational pressure, the protostar reaches hydrostatic equilibrium and becomes a main sequence star. Low-mass stars have longer lifetimes than high-mass stars due to differences in nuclear fusion rates.

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    The inward collapse of material causes the center of the protostar to become very hot and dense. Once critical levels of temperature and density are reached, nuclear fusion begins, emitting photons and heating the protostar. When the outward pressure from nuclear fusion balances the inward gravitational pressure, the protostar reaches hydrostatic equilibrium and becomes a main sequence star. Low-mass stars have longer lifetimes than high-mass stars due to differences in nuclear fusion rates.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    323 views2 pages

    Star Formatlon

    Uploaded by

    k
    The inward collapse of material causes the center of the protostar to become very hot and dense. Once critical levels of temperature and density are reached, nuclear fusion begins, emitting photons and heating the protostar. When the outward pressure from nuclear fusion balances the inward gravitational pressure, the protostar reaches hydrostatic equilibrium and becomes a main sequence star. Low-mass stars have longer lifetimes than high-mass stars due to differences in nuclear fusion rates.

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    Star

    stars begin lite as a


    Formatlonand Lifetimes 119
    cloud of
    such as the shock wave from gas and dust. The birth
    of star begina
    a
    ance,
    inward.
    a
    supernova,
    n o v a , trlggers the cloud wi dust
    of gas and t to Collapse
    to collapo
    triggere
    1)Imagine that you are
    observing the reglon of space where a
    beginning to
    collapse Inward to cloua o n
    form a star (the obloct that initlally
    is called a
    protostar). Will the atoms In the torrns this process
    another, move closer to one another, collapsing loud move ay"
    or stay at the same locations
    2) What physical interaction, or force, causes
    would in Question 1? tha atoms to behave as you describea they
    ono AOP
    3) Would you expect the temperature at the center of the protostar to increase or ease
    with time? Explain your O
    reasoning. eA AST MeMP u
    eeise bí cYhe octhat AFAer an exp G
    wil wil e Cooless
    The inward collapse of material causes the center of the protostar to become very hot and
    dense. Once the central temperature and density reach critical levels, nuclear fusion begins.
    During the fusion reaction, hydrogen atoms are combined together to form helium atoms
    the
    When this happéns, photons of light are emitted. Once the outward pressure created by
    inward gravitational collapse of material,
    energy given off during nuclear fusion balances the
    a state of hydrostatic equlibrium is reached,
    and the star no longer collapses. When this
    star.
    happens, the protostar becomes a main sequence

    answering Questions 4 through 7.


    the table below when
    Consider the information shown in

    Approximate Main Sequence Lifetime of


    Mass of the Star the Star
    multiples of Sun masses,
    Msun
    (in 50 billion years
    0.5 Msun
    10 billion years
    1.0 Msun 2 billion years
    2.0 Msun 110 million years
    6.0 MauSuN
    360 thousand years
    60 Msun
    low-mass
    stars?
    or
    high-mass
    live longer,
    4) Which
    U S Jtors
    120
    Star Formation and Lifetimes
    a
    5) Based on
    your answer to Question of nuclear fusion in a
    think that the rate
    nigh-mass star wer Question 4, do you
    vou in

    less than,
    nn
    equal to the rate
    of nuclear fusion
    OW-mass star? e r than, or

    SMan ktuus hure MOR V

    oVnich of the following statements best describes how the lifetimes compare bewe
    with six times the mass
    arA (a star with a mass equal to the Sun) and Star B (a star It may be nelprui to
    neSun)? Circle the best possible response given below. (Note:
    examine the information given in the table on the previous page)

    a) Star A will live less than 1/6th as long as Star B.


    b) Star A will live 1/6th as long as Star B

    Star A will have the same lifetime as Star B.


    d Star A will live six times longer than Star B.
    e) Star A will live more than six times longer than Star B.

    Explain your reasoning for the choice you made.


    becoue et is ess MSin Stor A

    7) The Sun has lifetime of approximately 10 billion years. If you could determine the rate
    a
    of nuclear fusion for a star with twice the mass of the Sun, which of the following would
    best describe how its fusion rate would compare to the Sun? Circle the best possible
    response to complete the sentence given below. (Note: It may be helpful to examine the
    information given in the table on the previous page.)

    A star with twice the mass of the Sun would have a rate of nuclear fusion that is
    the rate of fusion in the Sun.

    a) less than

    a little more than


    b)
    c) twice

    than twice
    d) more

    Explain your reasoning


    for the choice you made

    2 0 1 3 Pearson Education,
    Inc. LECTURE-TUTORIALS FOR INTRODUCTORY
    ASTRONOMY
    THIRD EDITION

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