21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
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Chapter 15, Problem 19QP
To determine
What happens when a star forms inside a molecular cloud? Whether a molecular cloud could remain cold and dark with stars inside it.
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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.
______________________________ require(s) that a young hot star (T ≥ 25,000 K) be relatively nearby.
a.
Emission nebulae
b.
HI regions
c.
Molecular clouds
d.
The hot gas of the interstellar medium
e.
21-cm radiation
Chapter 15 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 15.1 - Prob. 15.1CYUCh. 15.2 - Prob. 15.2CYUCh. 15.3 - Prob. 15.3CYUCh. 15.4 - Prob. 15.4CYUCh. 15 - Prob. 1QPCh. 15 - Prob. 2QPCh. 15 - Prob. 3QPCh. 15 - Prob. 4QPCh. 15 - Prob. 5QPCh. 15 - Prob. 6QP
Ch. 15 - Prob. 7QPCh. 15 - Prob. 8QPCh. 15 - Prob. 9QPCh. 15 - Prob. 10QPCh. 15 - Prob. 11QPCh. 15 - Prob. 12QPCh. 15 - Prob. 13QPCh. 15 - Prob. 14QPCh. 15 - Prob. 15QPCh. 15 - Prob. 16QPCh. 15 - Prob. 17QPCh. 15 - Prob. 18QPCh. 15 - Prob. 19QPCh. 15 - Prob. 20QPCh. 15 - Prob. 21QPCh. 15 - Prob. 22QPCh. 15 - Prob. 23QPCh. 15 - Prob. 24QPCh. 15 - Prob. 25QPCh. 15 - Prob. 26QPCh. 15 - Prob. 27QPCh. 15 - Prob. 28QPCh. 15 - Prob. 29QPCh. 15 - Prob. 30QPCh. 15 - Prob. 31QPCh. 15 - Prob. 32QPCh. 15 - Prob. 33QPCh. 15 - Prob. 35QPCh. 15 - Prob. 36QPCh. 15 - Prob. 37QPCh. 15 - Prob. 38QPCh. 15 - Prob. 39QPCh. 15 - Prob. 40QPCh. 15 - Prob. 41QPCh. 15 - Prob. 42QPCh. 15 - Prob. 43QPCh. 15 - Prob. 44QPCh. 15 - Prob. 45QP
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- What elements are stars mostly made of? How do we know this?arrow_forwardIf a 100 solar mass star were to have a luminosity of 107 times the Sun’s luminosity, how would such a star’s density compare when it is on the main sequence as an O-type star, and when it is a cool supergiant (M-type)? Use values of temperature from Figure 18.14 or Figure 18.15 and the relationship between luminosity, radius, and temperature as given in Exercise 18.47. Figure 18.15 Schematic HR Diagram for Many Stars. Ninety percent of all stars on such a diagram fall along a narrow band called the main sequence. A minority of stars are found in the upper right; they are both cool (and hence red) and bright, and must be giants. Some stars fall in the lower left of the diagram; they are both hot and dim, and must be white dwarfs. Figure 18.14 HR Diagram for a Selected Sample of Stars. In such diagrams, luminosity is plotted along the vertical axis. Along the horizontal axis, we can plot either temperature or spectral type (also sometimes called spectral class). Several of the brightest stars are identified by name. Most stars fall on the main sequence.arrow_forwardWhy do nebulae near hot stars look red? Why do dust clouds near stars usually look blue?arrow_forward
- Describe the evolution of a star with a mass similar to that of the Sun, from the protostar stage to the time it first becomes a red giant. Give the description in words and then sketch the evolution on an HR diagram.arrow_forwardAccording to the text, a star must be hotter than about 25,000 K to produce an H II region. Both the hottest white dwarfs and main-sequence O stars have temperatures hotter than 25,000 K. Which type of star can ionize more hydrogen? Why?arrow_forwardAppendix J lists the stars that appear brightest in our sky. Are most of these hotter or cooler than the Sun? Can you suggest a reason for the difference between this answer and the answer to the previous question? (Hint: Look at the luminosities.) Is there any tendency for a correlation between temperature and luminosity? Are there exceptions to the correlation?arrow_forward
- In which of these star groups would you mostly likely find the least heavy-element abundance for the stars within them: open clusters, globular clusters, or associations?arrow_forwardThe text explains that massive stars have shorter lifetimes than low-mass stars. Even though massive stars have more fuel to burn, they use it up faster than low-mass stars. You can check and see whether this statement is true. The lifetime of a star is directly proportional to the amount of mass (fuel) it contains and inversely proportional to the rate at which it uses up that fuel (i.e., to its luminosity). Since the lifetime of the Sun is about 1010 y, we have the following relationship: T=1010MLy where T is the lifetime of a main-sequence star, M is its mass measured in terms of the mass of the Sun, and L is its luminosity measured in terms of the Sun’s luminosity. A. Explain in words why this equation works. B. Use the data in Table 18.3 to calculate the ages of the main-sequence stars listed. C. Do low-mass stars have longer main-sequence lifetimes? D. Do you get the same answers as those in Table 22.1?arrow_forwardEstimating the luminosity class of an M star is much more important than measuring it for an O star if you are determining the distance to that star. Why is that the case?arrow_forward
- Where in the Galaxy would you expect to find Type II supernovae, which are the explosions of massive stars that go through their lives very quickly? Where would you expect to find Type I supernovae, which involve the explosions of white dwarfs?arrow_forwardAutomobiles are often used as an analogy to help people better understand how more massive stars have much shorter main-sequence lifetimes compared to less massive stars. Can you explain such an analogy using automobiles?arrow_forward
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