ASTR 1102 Chapter : Homework1
Document Summary
The energy balance with the rate fusion releases energy in the core and the rate the surface radiates this same energy into space. This fusion that occurs in the core creates energy to keep the sun balanced from the energy it releases on the surface. The gravitational equilibrium helps maintain the cores temperature. If the sun did not have this, it would not be the sun that we know. If the core rises in temperature, fusion rate increases, raising the core"s pressure, which causes the core to expand and cool down. This brings the fusion rate back to normal. The heat causes the hydrogen atoms to move at very high speeds. The high pressure is important because the layers prevent the core from exploding, which would cause no nuclear reactions. In the core with these conditions, hydrogen atoms can move fast enough making it more likely for them to stick together and fuse.
