21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
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Chapter 14, Problem 20QP
To determine
Why fission can’t power the sun.
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How would the interior temperature of the Sun be different if the strong force that binds nuclei together were 10 times as strong?
Assume that the core of the Sun has one-eighth of the Sun’s mass and is compressed within a sphere whose radius is one-fourth of the solar radius.Assume further that the composition of the core is 35% hydrogen by mass and that essentially all the Sun’s energy is generated there. If the Sun continues to burn hydrogen at the current rate of 6.2 *1011 kg/s, how long will it be before the hydrogen is entirely consumed? The Sun’s mass is 2.0 * 1030 kg.
Suppose thermonuclear fusion in the Sun’s core stopped abruptly. Would the intensity of sunlight decrease just as abruptly? Why or why not?
Chapter 14 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 14.1 - Prob. 14.1ACYUCh. 14.1 - Prob. 14.1BCYUCh. 14.2 - Prob. 14.2CYUCh. 14.3 - Prob. 14.3CYUCh. 14.4 - Prob. 14.4CYUCh. 14 - Prob. 1QPCh. 14 - Prob. 2QPCh. 14 - Prob. 3QPCh. 14 - Prob. 4QPCh. 14 - Prob. 5QP
Ch. 14 - Prob. 6QPCh. 14 - Prob. 7QPCh. 14 - Prob. 8QPCh. 14 - Prob. 9QPCh. 14 - Prob. 10QPCh. 14 - Prob. 11QPCh. 14 - Prob. 12QPCh. 14 - Prob. 13QPCh. 14 - Prob. 14QPCh. 14 - Prob. 15QPCh. 14 - Prob. 16QPCh. 14 - Prob. 17QPCh. 14 - Prob. 18QPCh. 14 - Prob. 19QPCh. 14 - Prob. 20QPCh. 14 - Prob. 21QPCh. 14 - Prob. 22QPCh. 14 - Prob. 23QPCh. 14 - Prob. 24QPCh. 14 - Prob. 25QPCh. 14 - Prob. 26QPCh. 14 - Prob. 27QPCh. 14 - Prob. 28QPCh. 14 - Prob. 29QPCh. 14 - Prob. 30QPCh. 14 - Prob. 31QPCh. 14 - Prob. 34QPCh. 14 - Prob. 35QPCh. 14 - Prob. 36QPCh. 14 - Prob. 37QPCh. 14 - Prob. 38QPCh. 14 - Prob. 39QPCh. 14 - Prob. 40QPCh. 14 - Prob. 41QPCh. 14 - Prob. 42QPCh. 14 - Prob. 43QPCh. 14 - Prob. 44QPCh. 14 - Prob. 45QP
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- Explain how we know that the Sun’s energy is not supplied either by chemical burning, as in fires here on Earth, or by gravitational contraction (shrinking).arrow_forwardNow suppose that all of the hydrogen atoms in the Sun were converted into helium. How much total energy would be produced? (To calculate the answer, you will have to estimate how many hydrogen atoms are in the Sun. This will give you good practice with scientific notation, since the numbers involved are very large! See Appendix C for a review of scientific notation.)arrow_forwardAssume that the core of the Sun has one-eighth of the Sun’s mass and is compressed within a sphere whose radius is one-fourth of the solar radius.Assume further that the composition of the core is 31% hydrogen by mass and that essentially all the Sun’s energy is generated there. If the Sun continues to burn hydrogen at the current rate of 6.33E11 kg/s, how long, in years, will it be before the hydrogen is entirely consumed? Mass of the Sun is 2.0x1030 kg.arrow_forward
- What conditions are required before proton-proton chain fusion can start in the Sun?arrow_forwardWhat is the average density of the Sun? How does it compare to the average density of Earth?arrow_forwardAssuming an average sunspot cycle of 11 years, how many revolutions does the equator of the Sun make during that one cycle? Do higher latitudes make more or fewer revolutions compared to the equator?arrow_forward
- What do measurements of the number of neutrinos emitted by the Sun tell us about conditions deep in the solar interior?arrow_forwardFrom the information in Figure 15.21, estimate the speed with which the particles in the CME in parts (c) and (d) are moving away from the Sun. Figure 15.21 Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection. This sequence of four images shows the evolution over time of a giant eruption on the Sun. (a) The event began at the location of a sunspot group, and (b) a flare is seen in far-ultraviolet light. (c) Fourteen hours later, a CME is seen blasting out into space. (d) Three hours later, this CME has expanded to form a giant cloud of particles escaping from the Sun and is beginning the journey out into the solar system. The white circle in (c) and (d) shows the diameter of the solar photosphere. The larger dark area shows where light from the Sun has been blocked out by a specially designed instrument to make it possible to see the faint emission from the corona. (credit a, b, c, d: modification of work by SOHO/EIT, SOHO/LASCO, SOHO/MDI (ESA & NASA))arrow_forward
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