21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
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Question
Chapter 17, Problem 11QP
To determine
The reason why iron fusion cannot support a star.
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Students have asked these similar questions
The theory that the collapse of a massive star’s iron core produces neutrinos was supported by
a.
the size and structure of the Crab nebula.
b.
laboratory measurements of the mass of the neutrino.
c.
the brightening of supernovae a few days after they are first visible.
d.
underground counts from solar neutrinos.
e.
the detection of neutrinos from the supernova of 1987.
The gas and dust cocoon surrounding young stars
a.
is blown away when the young stellar surface heats up and becomes more luminous.
b.
remains surrounding the young star throughout its adult life.
c.
eventually collapses onto the star, increasing its mass and luminosity.
d.
evaporates gradually over the lifetime of the star.
e.
expands as the star’s luminosity increases eventually reaching a distance far enough that it condenses to form comets.
A helium flash occurs
a.
because helium is very explosive and cannot be controlled when the nuclear reactions occur.
b.
because degenerate electrons in the core do not allow the core to expand as it heats up.
c.
in Cepheid variables.
d.
in stars with masses less than 0.4 M.
e.
under none of the above conditions.
Chapter 17 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 17.1 - Prob. 17.1CYUCh. 17.2 - Prob. 17.2CYUCh. 17.3 - Prob. 17.3CYUCh. 17.4 - Prob. 17.4CYUCh. 17 - Prob. 1QPCh. 17 - Prob. 2QPCh. 17 - Prob. 3QPCh. 17 - Prob. 4QPCh. 17 - Prob. 5QPCh. 17 - Prob. 6QP
Ch. 17 - Prob. 7QPCh. 17 - Prob. 8QPCh. 17 - Prob. 9QPCh. 17 - Prob. 10QPCh. 17 - Prob. 11QPCh. 17 - Prob. 12QPCh. 17 - Prob. 13QPCh. 17 - Prob. 14QPCh. 17 - Prob. 15QPCh. 17 - Prob. 16QPCh. 17 - Prob. 17QPCh. 17 - Prob. 18QPCh. 17 - Prob. 19QPCh. 17 - Prob. 20QPCh. 17 - Prob. 21QPCh. 17 - Prob. 22QPCh. 17 - Prob. 23QPCh. 17 - Prob. 24QPCh. 17 - Prob. 25QPCh. 17 - Prob. 26QPCh. 17 - Prob. 27QPCh. 17 - Prob. 28QPCh. 17 - Prob. 29QPCh. 17 - Prob. 30QPCh. 17 - Prob. 31QPCh. 17 - Prob. 32QPCh. 17 - Prob. 33QPCh. 17 - Prob. 34QPCh. 17 - Prob. 35QPCh. 17 - Prob. 36QPCh. 17 - Prob. 37QPCh. 17 - Prob. 38QPCh. 17 - Prob. 39QPCh. 17 - Prob. 40QPCh. 17 - Prob. 41QPCh. 17 - Prob. 42QPCh. 17 - Prob. 43QPCh. 17 - Prob. 44QPCh. 17 - Prob. 45QP
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Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- The triple-alpha process a. controls the pulsations in Cepheid variable stars. b. is the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium in massive stars. c. is the process that produces the neutrinos we receive from the sun. d. requires a temperature of about 5,000,000 K to operate. e. fuses helium nuclei to make carbon and occurs during helium flash.arrow_forwardWhich of the following is wrong? A. Tidal effects in a binary star system become more important when one or both stars become giant stars. B. There is no fusion occurring in the core of a low-mass red giant star. C. Gold (the element) is produced during the supernova explosions of high-mass stars. D. Suppose the star Betelgeuse were to become a supernova tomorrow, we'd see by naked eyes a cloud of gas expanding away from the position where Betelgeuse used to be. Over a period of a few weeks, this cloud would fill a large part of our sky.arrow_forwardWhere does gold (the element) come from? A. It is produced during the supernova explosions of high-mass stars. B. It was produced during the Big Bang. C. It is produced by mass transfer in close binaries. D. It is produced during the late stages of fusion in low-mass stars.arrow_forward
- Which of the following binary star systems cannot exist? A. A 1 solar-mass main sequence star and a 4 solar mass red giant with a size 100 times smaller than the orbital distance. B. A 15 solar-mass main sequence star and a 10 solar mass red giant with a size 100 times smaller than the orbital distance. C. A 1 solar-mass main sequence star and a 4 solar-mass main sequence star. D. A 2 solar-mass main sequence star and a 1 solar mass red giant with a size a few times smaller than the orbital distance.arrow_forwardFor a white dwarf to become a nova it is necessary for it to A. become a black hole. B. have begun life as a high-mass star. C. have a binary companion. D.rejoin the main sequence.arrow_forward4. Suppose we observe a binary star system in which one star is much more massive than the other and both are on the main sequence. We measure that the smaller star orbits the larger at a distance of 10¹3 m with a speed of 10 m/s. a. What is the mass of the larger star? b. Which star has a higher luminosity? c. Which has a larger radius? d. Which is hotter?arrow_forward
- As a white dwarf cools, its radius will not change because a. pressure resulting from nuclear reactions in a shell just below the surface keeps it from collapsing. b. pressure does not depend on temperature for a white dwarf because the electrons are degenerate. c. pressure does not depend on temperature because the white dwarf is too hot. d. pressure does not depend on temperature because the star has exhausted all its nuclear fuels. e. material accreting onto it from a companion maintains a constant radius.arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements about various stages of core nuclear burning (hydrogen, helium, carbon, etc.) in a high- mass star is not true? A. As each stage ends, the core shrinks and heats further. B. Each successive stage creates an element with a higher atomic number and atomic mass number. C. As each stage ends, the reactions that occurred in previous stages continue in shells around the core. D.Each successive stage lasts for approximately the same amount of time.arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements is wrong? A. A main-sequence star is cooler and brighter than it was as a protostar. B. Carbon fusion occurs in high-mass stars but not in low-mass stars because the cores of low-mass stars never contain significant amounts of carbon. C. when a main-sequence star exhausts its core hydrogen fuel supply, the core shrinks while the rest of the star expands. D. After a supernova explosion, the remains of the stellar core will be either a neutron star or a black hole.arrow_forward
- Stars are born in a. reflection nebulae. b. dense molecular clouds. c. HII regions. d. the intercloud medium. e. the local bubble.arrow_forwardThe diagram below shows an H-R diagram with life track of a 1-solar-mass star, with various stages labeled A through E. Temperature What will happen to the star after stage E? A. It will gain mass until it collapses under its own weight. B. It will begin burning carbon in its core. C. It will explode in a supernova. D. It will collapse to make a neutron star. E. It will eject a planetary nebula. Luminosity →arrow_forwardA shell of gas slowly ejected by a giant star is known as a a. supernova remnant. b. nova remnant. c. planetary nebula. d. reflection nebula.arrow_forward
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