Universe: Stars And Galaxies
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781319115098
Author: Roger Freedman, Robert Geller, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Question
Chapter 19, Problem 8Q
To determine
The maximum mass that a star can have for its lifetime on the main sequence to be long enough to allow life to form on one or more of its planets.
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
Suppose that stars were born at random times over the last 10e10 years. The rate ofstar formation is simply the number of stars divided by 10e10 years. The fraction ofstars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 9 %. The rate of star formation can bemultiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) doesa planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 7 × 10e11 stars.
I've done this problem 3 different times from scratch and looked at similar problems here. Each time my answer is 1.587 (1.59 rounded to 2 significant figures), but when I submit, it says the answer is wrong. What do you think?
In a globular cluster, astronomers (someday) discover a star with the same mass as our Sun, but consisting entirely of hydrogen and helium. Is this star a good place to point our SETI antennas and search for radio signals from an advanced civilization?
Group of answer choices
No, because such a star (and any planets around it) would not have the heavier elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.) that we believe are necessary to start life as we know it.
Yes, because globular clusters are among the closest star clusters to us, so that they would be easy to search for radio signals.
Yes, because we have already found radio signals from another civilization living near a star in a globular cluster.
No, because such a star would most likely not have a stable (main-sequence) stage that is long enough for a technological civilization to develop.
Yes, because such a star is probably old and a technological civilization will have had a long time to evolve and develop there.
Why are we unlikely to find Earth-like planets around halo stars in the Galaxy?
A. Halo stars formed in a different way from disk stars.
B. Planets around stars are known to be extremely rare.
C. Halo stars formed in an environment where there were few heavy elements to create rocky planets.
D. Halo stars do not have enough mass to hold onto planets.
Is the answer C? Since halo stars are formed early when the galaxy consisted of mainly hydrogen and helium, there are no heavier elements available to create Earth-like planets so just halo stars are formed?
Thanks!
Chapter 19 Solutions
Universe: Stars And Galaxies
Ch. 19 - Prob. 1QCh. 19 - Prob. 2QCh. 19 - Prob. 3QCh. 19 - Prob. 4QCh. 19 - Prob. 5QCh. 19 - Prob. 6QCh. 19 - Prob. 7QCh. 19 - Prob. 8QCh. 19 - Prob. 9QCh. 19 - Prob. 10Q
Ch. 19 - Prob. 11QCh. 19 - Prob. 12QCh. 19 - Prob. 13QCh. 19 - Prob. 14QCh. 19 - Prob. 15QCh. 19 - Prob. 16QCh. 19 - Prob. 17QCh. 19 - Prob. 18QCh. 19 - Prob. 19QCh. 19 - Prob. 20QCh. 19 - Prob. 21QCh. 19 - Prob. 22QCh. 19 - Prob. 23QCh. 19 - Prob. 24QCh. 19 - Prob. 25QCh. 19 - Prob. 26QCh. 19 - Prob. 27QCh. 19 - Prob. 28QCh. 19 - Prob. 29QCh. 19 - Prob. 30QCh. 19 - Prob. 31QCh. 19 - Prob. 32QCh. 19 - Prob. 33QCh. 19 - Prob. 34QCh. 19 - Prob. 35QCh. 19 - Prob. 36QCh. 19 - Prob. 37QCh. 19 - Prob. 38QCh. 19 - Prob. 39QCh. 19 - Prob. 40QCh. 19 - Prob. 41QCh. 19 - Prob. 42QCh. 19 - Prob. 43QCh. 19 - Prob. 44QCh. 19 - Prob. 45QCh. 19 - Prob. 46QCh. 19 - Prob. 47QCh. 19 - Prob. 48QCh. 19 - Prob. 49QCh. 19 - Prob. 50QCh. 19 - Prob. 51QCh. 19 - Prob. 52QCh. 19 - Prob. 53Q
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
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 star cluster shown in this image contains a few red giants as well as main-sequence stars ranging from spectral type B to M. Discuss the likelihood that exoplanets orbiting any of these stars might be home to life. (Hint: Estimate the age of the cluster.)arrow_forwardIf a star must remain on the main sequence for at least 4 billion years for life to evolve to intelligence, what is the most massive a star that can form and still possibly harbor intelligent life on one of its exoplanets? (Hints: Use the formula for stellar life expectancies, Eq. 121, and data in Appendix Table A-7.)arrow_forwardThe star cluster shown in the image in Figure UN 20-3 contains cool red giants and main-sequence stars from hot blue stars all the way down to red dwarfs. Discuss the likelihood that planets orbiting any of these stars might be home to life. (Hint: Estimate the age of the cluster.)arrow_forward
- As a cluster of stars begins to age, which type of star in the cluster will move off the main sequence of the H-R diagram first? 1) all the stars in a cluster are born at the same time; so they will all move off the main sequence at the same time, as they evolve 2) G type stars, like our Sun 3) M type stars, which are the coolest 4) the lowest mass stars, which have the least amount of fuel for fusion 5) the O and B type starsarrow_forwardH5. A star with mass 1.05 M has a luminosity of 4.49 × 1026 W and effective temperature of 5700 K. It dims to 4.42 × 1026 W every 1.39 Earth days due to a transiting exoplanet. The duration of the transit reveals that the exoplanet orbits at a distance of 0.0617 AU. Based on this information, calculate the radius of the planet (expressed in Jupiter radii) and the minimum inclination of its orbit to our line of sight. Follow up observations of the star in part reveal that a spectral feature with a rest wavelength of 656 nm is redshifted by 1.41×10−3 nm with the same period as the observed transit. Assuming a circular orbit what can be inferred about the planet’s mass (expressed in Jupiter masses)?arrow_forwardSelect all of the statements about the main sequence stage in the life of a star that are TRUE: All stars spend the majority of their lives in the main sequence stage. Most stars lose a significant amount of mass while they are on the Main Sequence. Different stars spend a different amounts of time (number of years) in the main sequence stage, depending on the characteristics they were born with. Main sequence stars are rare in the Galaxy, so we are lucky to be living around one. During the main sequence stage, energy to power the star is provided by the fusion of hydrogen.arrow_forward
- A star's Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS) radius R, luminosity L, and effective temperature Teff depend primarily on the star's mass. These parameters do evolve somewhat over time, however, while the star still remains on the main sequence. Discuss in what direction each of these parameters evolves, and explain why this occurs. By physical in your explanation. How did this evolution affect our own solar system, if at all?arrow_forwardImagine that in the future, scientists plan on colonizing planets that orbit other stars. Based on your knowledge of the life cycle of stars, decide which type of star (High mass or Low mass) the planet should orbit that would allow for human life to safely live on that planet for the longest period of time. Explain your answer using examples from the life cycle of each star.arrow_forwardKepler-444 is one of many stars with terrestrial planets that is over 10 billion a) What do you think the spectral type of Kepler-444 might be? b) How do stars of this spectral type end their lives? c) If evolution followed a similar course on a habitable pranet around a star similar to Kepler-444, it would be 5 billion years more advanced than we are. Let’s try to project our future and see what happens. In particular, suppose our civilization gets motivated enough to colonize another planet. Kepler indicates that most stars have potentially habitable (and colonizable) planets, so roughly how far away is the typical “nearest" planet? d) The New Horizons probe on its way to Pluto took 9 years to travel 30 AU. If we could send colony ships with the same average speed, roughly how long would it take to reach the typical nearest planet? уears old.arrow_forward
- Outline the process of star formation, including all relevant factors that influence the outcome.arrow_forwardSuppose that stars were born at random times over the last 1010 years. The rate of star formation is simply the number of stars divided by 1010 years. The fraction of stars with detected extrasolar planets is at least 11 %. The rate of star formation can be multiplied by this fraction to find the rate planet formation. How often (in years) does a planetary system form in our galaxy? Assume the Milky Way contains 3 × 1011 stars.arrow_forward1. A planetary nebula has an angular diameter of 76 arc seconds and a distance of 5100 ly. What is its linear diameter (in ly)? Hint: Use the small-angle formula: angular diameter (in arc seconds) 2.06 ✕ 105 = linear diameter distance 2. Suppose a planetary nebula is 3.2 pc in diameter, and Doppler shifts in its spectrum show that the planetary nebula is expanding at 31 km/s. How old is the planetary nebula in yr? (Note: 1 pc = 3.1 ✕ 1013 km and 1 yr = 3.2 ✕ 107 s.)arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage Learning
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course ...PhysicsISBN:9781305960961Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Horizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course ...
Physics
ISBN:9781305960961
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax