ASTRO-110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Quantum Mechanics, White Dwarf, Carbon Detonation
18 Sep 2020
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When h is exhausted in the star"s core, it leaves the main sequence. The star moves toward the upper right of the h-r diagram. Have enough gravitational energy to heat up to 6 x108 k (c fuses into o) C is exhausted, core collapses until o fuses. The cycle repeats itself (o ne mg si fe) Core now made out of pure iron, then layer of silicon, then layer of magnesium, neon, oxygen, carbon, helium, hydrogen. The supergiant has an fe core which collapses and heats. Fe cannot fuse into another element without creating mass; this requires energy, does not produce energy. The force of gravity continues to collapse the core. Extremely high temp in core billions of k. Electrons are smashed into protons neutrons. Neutron core collapses until it is a tightly packed ball of neutrons. The rest of the star collapses and bounces off of neutron core, exploding into space supernova.
