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LIFECYCLES OF STARS. Option 2601. Stellar Physics. Unit 1 - Observational properties of stars Unit 2 - Stellar Spectra Unit 3 - The Sun Unit 4 - Stellar Structure Unit 5 - Stellar Evolution Unit 6 - Stars of particular interest. Unit 5. Stellar Evolution. Stellar Evolution.
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LIFECYCLES OF STARS Option 2601
Stellar Physics • Unit 1 - Observational properties of stars • Unit 2 - Stellar Spectra • Unit 3 - The Sun • Unit 4 - Stellar Structure • Unit 5 - Stellar Evolution • Unit 6 - Stars of particular interest
Unit 5 Stellar Evolution
Stellar Evolution • Star formation • Main sequence • Stellar clusters (open, globular) • Population I & II stars • Red Giants • Planetary Nebulae • White Dwarfs • Supernovae • Neutron Stars
Sequence • Protostar • Pre-main Sequence (PMS) • Main Sequence • Post-main Sequence
Protostars • Stars born by gravitational contraction of interstellar clouds of gas and dust • Gravitation energy 50% thermal & 50% radiative • Cloud is a Protostar before hydrostatic equilibrium is established
Protostars • Collapse starts in “free fall” • Particles do not collide during collapse • i.e. P=0, gravity is only force involved • Collapse is uneven • Core collapses more rapidly forming a small central condensation • Core then accretes material
Protostars • Low mass objects accrete all (most) of material • High mass objects behave similarly, but • Fusion begins before end of accretion • Some material then blown away by radiation pressure
Effect of Rotation • If angular momentum > 0 • Cloud flattens into a disk • In some cases several central blobs form, which can coalesce into fewer… • Multiple star systems
The Main Sequence • Start of nuclear burning zero-age main sequence • As H He composition () changes, structure changes • Rates of evolution depend on two things • Initial mass • Composition
The Main Sequence • High mass stars are hotter & more luminous • Use their energy faster, i.e. evolve faster • Spend less time on the main sequence • O & B stars evolve faster than M stars
Mass-luminosity relation: Giving star lifetime: Quantitatively
Population I Stars • Accreting from the ISM now! (i.e. recent past) • Typical stars are young, in galactic spiral arms where gas and dust found • Typically reside in open star clusters • ~2% of mass elements heavier than H or He (ISM enriched by supernovae) • If M* a little > M energy generation is by CNO cycle • Sun is population I
Evolutionary phases of a solar mass star, post main-sequence
Population II Stars • First stars to be formed in Universe • Have only 0.01% heavy elements • Typically found in galactic bulge and globular clusters • Similar sequence of evolution but occupy different region of H-R diagram during core He burning • Significant temperature changes, heating and then cooling
Evolutionary phases of a solar mass star, post main-sequence
For a degenerate gas (non-relativistic): Constant For a perfect gas: From hydrostatic equilibrium: Greater mass, smaller radius Chandrasekhar Limit White dwarfs form from stars with M 8MSun Degenerate gas pressure prevents further gravitational contraction Chrandrasekhar limit: degeneracy pressure can only support M 1.4MSun. Above this limit a neutron star is formed
White dwarf companions e.g. Sirius – companion Sirius B (Alvan Clark, 1862) Procyon – Procyon B (1882) In binaries we can measure the companion’s mass from Kepler’s laws MSirius B = 1.0MSun TSirius A = 10,000K ; MV = -1.5 TSirius B = 25,000K ; MV = 8 From : R 7 10-3RSun = 3 109kg m-3 3 10-3LSun
Massive Stars • Stars with masses > 7 M • Masses greater than ~ 50 M • Affected by mass loss (i.e. winds) • As mass of star changes so does the structure and luminosity