AST201H1 Lecture Notes - Triple-Alpha Process, Helium Flash, Planetary Nebula

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AST201H1 Full Course Notes
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AST201H1 Full Course Notes
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How does a star"s mass affect nuclear fusion: Stars of greater mass have hotter core temperatures, causing fusion to process more quickly and enabling fusion of heavier elements to take place. A star"s mass at birth therefore determines almost every aspect of its life and death. To understand the general characteristics of stellar lives, we divide stars into three groups by mass. Low mass stars, with masses less than 2msun. Intermediate mass stars, with masses between 2msun and 8msun. High mass stars, with masses above 8msun. What are the life stages of a low mass star: A low mass star spends most of its life generating energy by fusing hydrogen in its core via the proton-proton chain. When core hydrogen is exhausted, the core begins to shrink while the star as a whole expands to become a red giant, with hydrogen shell burning around an inert helium core.

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