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The Lives of Stars

The Lives of Stars. From studying nearby stars and stellar clusters most stars are on the main sequence stars become red giants after leaving the main sequence How does this relate to the internal structure of the stars and their nuclear fusion reactions?. Fusion reactions.

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The Lives of Stars

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  1. The Lives of Stars • From studying nearby stars and stellar clusters • most stars are on the main sequence • stars become red giants after leaving the main sequence • How does this relate to the internal structure of the stars and their nuclear fusion reactions? Our Evolving Universe

  2. Fusion reactions • Generate energy up to iron • But, need to get two positively charged nuclei close enough to fuse together • need fast movement • high temperature (and high density) • Converting hydrogen-1 to helium-4 is the easiest and most efficient fusion reaction • 0.7% of initial mass converted to energy E=mc2 Our Evolving Universe

  3. Stellar structure and fusion • To keep star stable need pressure to increase downwards • temperature increases • density increases • fusion most likely in central core of star • Stars are mainly hydrogen • expect main sequence stars to fuse hydrogen to helium in core Our Evolving Universe

  4. Hydrogen fusion reactions • Reaction rateincreases astemperatureincreases • more massive starshave higher fusionrates • Reaction can be direct or use carbon-12as catalyst • this tends to increase abundanceof nitrogen and oxygen pp chain CNO cycle Our Evolving Universe

  5. Getting the heat out • Energy generated in stellar core has to be transported to surface • Two options: • radiation • absorption and re-emissionof photons • convection • hot gas rising towards surface, cool gas falling • Giant stars have convective outer layers • transports out the heavy elementsproduced by fusion Our Evolving Universe

  6. What happens when the core hydrogen runs out? star expands and cools,becoming luminousred giant (1000x Sun) 1.76 Gyr core shrinks under gravityuntil hydrogen outside starts to fuse 1.65 Gyr 1.69 Gyr 1.61 Gyr star now has helium core (not hot enough to fuse) on main sequence10x Sun Our Evolving Universe

  7. Stages of hydrogen fusion • Main sequence stars fuse hydrogen to helium in core • Red giants (and subgiants) fuse hydrogen to helium in shell outside helium core • Stars have nearly constant luminosity on main sequence, but red giants get brighter as they age • Red giant stage lasts only 10% as long as main sequence establishedfusion inshell starting to fuse out-side core core hydro-gen fusion Our Evolving Universe

  8. Helium fusion • Neither beryllium-8 nor boron-8 is stable • need to combine three helium nuclei to get stable carbon-12 • beryllium-8 serves as intermediate stage • need high temperature and density (else 8Be decays before it gets converted to 12C) Our Evolving Universe

  9. Stages of helium fusion carbon core with heliumfusion outside: starbecomes a giant again 1.86 Gyr core heliumstarts to fuse helium fusion in core:star is smaller andhotter, but less bright 1.82 Gyr 1.76 Gyr Our Evolving Universe

  10. Helium fusion on the HR diagram • Helium fusion is much less efficient than hydrogen fusion (0.07% instead of 0.7%) • helium fusion stage lasts for a much shorter time helium corefusing stars:the hori-zontal branchof a globularcluster Our Evolving Universe

  11. Adding more helium nuclei to carbon can produce the alpha-process elements oxygen-16, neon-20, etc. Adding helium to carbon-13 or neon-22 produces free neutrons which can easily combine with nuclei (no charge) to produce different elements Why does helium fusion make mostly carbon? because carbon nuclei have an energy level at exactly the right place otherwise carbon would be a rare element and we would not exist! Fred Hoyle, 1953 Side effects of helium fusion Our Evolving Universe

  12. Stellar evolution • Note step is in log (age): each frame is 60% older than the one before • massive stars evolve very quickly • post-main-sequence life of star is always comparatively short • massive stars change colour a great deal, but don’t change brightness much • less massive stars become much brighter as red giants Our Evolving Universe

  13. Fusion of heavier elements gets more difficult higher mass means lower speed at given temperature higher charge means more electrostatic repulsion Stars like the Sun never get beyond helium fusion More massive stars (>8 MS) can fuse elements up to iron What happens to Sun-like stars when the helium is used up? What happens to massive stars when they reach iron? fusion beyond iron requires energy How are the heavy elements formed in stellar cores dispersed into space? …next lecture! After helium fusion Our Evolving Universe

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