Supernova’s
By Blake Sharin
Introduction
• How are stars
formed?
• How do stars die?
• Supernova’s
– Type I Supernova
– Type II Supernova
• Neutron Stars
• Black Holes
How are Stars Formed?
• Compromise between
two forces.
– Strong Nuclear Force
• Star expands
– Gravity
• Pressure generated
from thermonuclear
reactions
• Star contracts
• Interstellar Medium
– Cloud of dust and gas
(sometimes visible)
How are Stars Formed? (contd.)
•
•
Stars form from the cold dark
cloud of gas and dust in outer
space.
Some sort of disturbance causes
clumps of matter to form.
– Blast wave.
•
•
Gravity pulls this matter together.
Core Rotates, heats up the center.
– Protostar.
• Energy into radiation and thermal
energy which increases temp.
•
Temp finally reaches 10 million K
– Thermonuclear reaction
(Hydrogen atoms fuse).
Columns of cool interstellar hydrogen gas and
dust that are also incubators for new stars
How do Stars Die?
• Two types of stars
– Stars like our sun
• Run out of hydrogen
• Temperature cools,
leading to its collapse
• Becomes Red Giant
Star
• Turns into a White
Dwarf Star
How do Stars Die? (contd.)
– Massive Stars
• 8 times the mass of the
sun
• Similar to the death of
the Sun
• Starts off with a blue
white color
• Expands, cools, turns
yellow
• Pulsates for few months
• Turns into Red
Supergiant Star
– 1,000 larger than our
Sun
Death of a Massive Star (contd.)
• While the sun can burn helium
and hydrogen to keep the star
shinning, massive stars attain
temperatures so great that Iron
is produced in the core.
• Iron is the most stable nuclei.
• It is at this point where the core
collapses and the imploding
material produces a shock
wave.
• Shock wave blows the star
apart and produces a
Supernova.
Illustration of a Massive Stars Life Cycle
Type I Supernova
• Caused by the
collapse of a White
Dwarf Star.
• White Dwarf Star
exceeds 1.4 solar
masses, star will
collapse.
• Leaves no remnants
behind.
Type II Supernova
• Similar to Type I
Supernova, but these will
leave behind a black hole
or a neutron star.
• If the mass of the core is
less than 2 or 3 solar
masses, it becomes a
neutron star.
• If the mass of the core is
more than 2 or 3 solar
masses, it becomes a
black hole.
Supernova 1987A
Black Holes
• Region of spacetime from
which nothing can escape,
even light.
• It is impossible to see a black
hole directly because no light
can escape from them; they
are black.
• Inside the core, the brown disk
weighs 100,000 times the
mass of the sun.
• Gravity is 1 million times as
strong as the sun.
Conclusion
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