Universe: Stars And Galaxies
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781319115098
Author: Roger Freedman, Robert Geller, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Chapter 20, Problem 22Q
To determine
The way the radius of a white dwarf depends on the mass. The way it is different from other types of stars.
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One way to calculate the radius of a star is to use its luminosity and temperature and assume that the star radiates approximately like a blackbody. Astronomers have measured the characteristics of central stars of planetary nebulae and have found that a typical central star is 16 times as luminous and 20 times as hot (about 110,000 K) as the Sun. Find the radius in terms of the Sun’s. How does this radius compare with that of a typical white dwarf?
Explain how some stars form in binary systems.
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We will take a moment to compare how brightly a white dwarf star shines compared to a red giant star. For the sake of this problem, let's assume a white dwarf has a temperature around 10,000 K and a red giant has a temperature around 5,000 K. As for their stellar radiatin, the white dwarf has a radius about 1/100th that of the Sun, and a red giant has a radius around 100 times larger than the Sun.
With this in mind, how does the luminosity of a red giant star compare to that of a white dwarf (Hint: do not try to enter all of these numbers into the luminosity equation {it won't go well}; instead, remember that you are only interested in the ratio between the two, so all common units and components can be divided out)?
Please enter your answer in terms of the luminosity of the red giant divided by the luminosity of the white dwarf and round to two significant figures. Also, please avoid using commas in your answer.
Chapter 20 Solutions
Universe: Stars And Galaxies
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- How do the two types of supernovae discussed in this chapter differ? What kind of star gives rise to each type?arrow_forwardApproximately 6000 stars are bright enough to be seen without a telescope. Are any of these white dwarfs? Use the information given in this chapter to explain your reasoning.arrow_forwardA G2 star has a luminosity 100 times that of the Sun. What kind of star is it? How does its radius compare with that of the Sun?arrow_forward
- How does a white dwarf differ from a neutron star? How does each form? What keeps each from collapsing under its own weight?arrow_forwardIf the Sun were replaced by a white dwarf with a surface temperature of 10,000 K and a radius equal to Earth’s, how would its luminosity compare to that of the Sun?arrow_forwardUsing solar units, we find that a star has 4 times the luminosity of the Sun, a mass 1.25 times the mass of the Sun, and a surface temperature of 4090 K (take the Sun's surface temperature to be 5784 K for the sake of this problem). This means the star has a radius of.................... solar radii and is a .................... star (use the classification).arrow_forward
- Betelgeuse is a red giant at a distance of 428 light years. In the future it will become a supernova similar to Tycho's supernova which was observed in 1572 and lies at a distance of 9800 light years. At its peak, its brightness was similar to that of Venus (which has a peak apparent magnitude of -4). What might we expect the peak apparent magnitude of the Betelgeuse supernova explosion to be?arrow_forwardWhat happens to a White Dwarf's radius if a little mass is added? What happens if a companion star dumps matter on top of a white dwarf and raises the mass to 1.4 times the mass of the Sun?arrow_forwardIf a neutron Star has a radius of 12 km and a temperature of 8.0 x 10^6 K, how luminous is it? Express your answer in watts and also in solar luminosity units. (Hint: Use the relation L/L= (R/R)^2(T/T)^4 . Use 5,800 K for the surface temperature of the Sun. The luminosity of the sun is 3.83 x 10^26W) luminosity in watts ________ W luminosity in solar luminosity units ______ Larrow_forward
- A 46M Sun main sequence star loses 1 Msun of mass over 105 years. (Due to the nature of this problem, do not use rounded intermediate values in your calculations including answers submitted in WebAssign.) How many solar masses did it lose in a year? By how much will its luminosity decrease if this mass loss continues over 0.8 million years? Due to the nature of this problem, for all parts, do not use rounded intermediate values in your calculations-including answers submitted in WebAssign. To determine the number of solar masses lost per year, divide the mass lost by the number of years over which it was lost. Mlost tlost-yr Part 1 of 3 dM = dM = MSun/yrarrow_forwardThe lowest mass for a true star is 1/12 the mass of the sun. What is the luminosity of this star (in units of the sun’s luminosity) based upon mass luminosity relationship? Use the exponent of 4 for easy calculations instead of 3.9arrow_forwardHow does a white dwarf differ from a neutron star? (Select all that apply.) A white dwarf is less massive than a neutron star. A neutron star is denser than a white dwarf .A neutron star is less massive than a white dwarf. A neutron star has a smaller radius than a white dwarf .A white dwarf is denser than a neutron star .A white dwarf has a smaller radius than a neutron star.arrow_forward
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