Space Physics Flashcards
Describe what happens to a star after the main sequence for the star to become a black dwarf (5)
-star expands to become
- red giant
-heavier elements are formed by fusion
-star shrinks to become
-a white draft
-star coools
-star stops emitting energy and radiation
What’s meant by a protostar
Gas and dust that fuses together
Describe how stars are formed (3)
Gas particles from space are pulled together by gravitational forces
State why a star is stable during the main sequence period
The forces within it (inward and outward) are balanced
What’s the star life cycle for stars the same mass as the sun
Protostar -> main sequence -> red giant ->white dwarf -> black dwarf
What happens during the main sequence of stars
Energy is released by the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to make helium. Nuclei in the core is stable since the forces within it are balanced
What happens in the core (center) of a star
Temperature and density are greatest and where most of nuclear fusion takes place
The more massive a star ->
Hotter core and heavier nuclei it can create by fusion
How is the life cycle of a star determined
The mass of a star
How do sequence stars produce light and heat
They uses nuclear reactions to produce light and heat. When it runs out of hydrogen, what happens next in its life cycle depends upon its mass.
What happens to larger stars
They swell to become a red supergiant, in which helium nuclei fuse to form carbon, followed by further fusion that produces heavier nuclei such as nitrogen and oxygen. It expands, cools and turns red. The outer layers then blast away as a supernova is formed. The core collapses and depending upon mass, it forms either a neutron star or a black hole.
What does the solar system contain
Planets,asteroids comets,moon
What holds the earth in its orbit
The force of gravity acting between the sun and the earth
What’re the 2 satellite types
Artificial and natural(moon)
What’s a geostationary orbit
Goes along the equator and takes 24 hours to complete a full orbit
