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Evolution of High Mass Stars, Neutron Stars, Black Holes

Terms in this set (23)

Stars can only begin to fuse carbon once they reach what temperature?
500 million K
Which element fuses into iron at the core of a star?
Silicon
When a high mass star first runs out of hydrogen in its core it causes the outer layers to change dramatically, turning the star into...
A red supergiant
How does the layering work in a late life, high mass star?
Once the fusion of one element ceases in the core of the star the same kind of fusion will begin in a layer around the core, inside of layers fusing other smaller elements.
How does the rate of fusion of an element depend on the atomic mass of the element?
Heavier elements fuse more quickly than lighter elements.
A very massive star begins to collapse when the product of fusion is the element ...
Iron
When a very high mass star (>25 Msun) collapses, what can it become?
A black hole.
What gives the matter in a supernova the energy to create such a huge explosion?
Interactions with huge amounts of neutrinos released from the super dense core.
What is the name for the expanding material left over from the explosion of a high mass star?
A supernova remnant
What is the force that acts against gravity in a neutron star?
Neutron degeneracy pressure
Neutron degeneracy will only hold back the intense gravitational pull of the star's mass if the core is less than what mass?
2.8 solar masses
What is the approximate mass of a cubic centimeter of the material in a neutron star?
400 million tons
How does the gravity on the surface of a neutron star compare to that on the surface of the Earth?
A neutron star's is up to a 100 billion times stronger
What was so surprising to astronomers about pulsars when they were first discovered?
They have an extremely consistent period
What is the name for the process whereby a pulsar takes matter from a neighboring star in a binary star system?
Accretion
How does a neutron star's spin change over time?
Their spin decreases with time but occasionally have slight increases in spin
How do magnetars differ from other neutron stars?
They have significantly stronger magnetic fields.
What is the cause of huge bursts of x-rays that we can see from spacecraft around Earth with origins in neutron stars?
Changes in a magnetar's magnetic field caused by a star quake
How massive must a star's core be in order for it to become a black hole?
Greater than 2.8 solar masses
How do tidal forces compare between different sizes of black holes?
Tidal forces are stronger for smaller black holes
What theory first predicted the existence of black holes?
General relativity
Which of the following best describes the way in which Einstein visualized space and time?
A connected fabric that is warped by massive objects
How is the light at a black hole's event horizon affected by the gravity of the body?
It is infinitely redshifted, making it impossible to detect
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