AST101H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: White Dwarf, Isotopes Of Nitrogen, Cno Cycle
Document Summary
About half of the stars are double stars. Stellar mass limits: stars are observed to have masses between 0. 1 to about 100 mass of sun [chapter 11] If mass > 100 x mass of sun, fusion produces more heat and pressure than the gravity can hold. If mass < 0. 1 x mass of sun, fusion cannot start, powered only by the energy from contraction, very faint and cool = brown dwarf . Should exist first one discovered in 1995. How do we study a star"s life: a star"s life depends on the fusion energy in its core, but that is not observable. Must use theory (gravity pressure fusion energy and heat pressure, ) Use a computer to calculate how the star changes with time as fusion converts h to. Density changes and pressure changes as well. Predict the star"s appearance, which is compared to observations of star clusters.
