[Jan] How neutrinos aid in the death of massive stars Flashcards
What is known as supernovae?
Some stars burn out instead of fading,that massive cosmic explosions is known as supernovae(short answer)
The burning of nuclear fuel in their cores to produce energy is a process that is similar to all-stars.
The process of burning generates internal pressure which pushes outwards, thus preventing the star from collapsing inward under the weight of its own gravity.
However, as the star ages and runs out of fuel to burn, it’s interior begins to cool, this contributes to its internal pressure dropping down and therefore the impact of the force of gravity, the star starts to collapse inwards.
The sudden nature of the process contributes towards building up of shock waves, and the shock wave sends the outer material of the star flying, this is referred to as a supernova, this phenomenon is usually observed in stars of gigantic proportions.
What is a neutrino?
A neutrino is a subatomic particle that is very similar to an electron but has no electrical charge and a very small mass, which might even be zero.
Neutrinos can be classified into three ‘flavours’, and each flavour is associated with a light elementary particle.
For instance, the electron-neutrino is associated with the electron; the muon-neutrino with the muon and the tau-neutrino with the tau particle.
