Star Physics

The beautiful twinkles of light in the night sky are stars. How did these sparkles of light come about? What role does physics play in the life of a star? To understand the physics of stars we must take a look at gravity, nuclear fusion, supernovae, and neutron stars.

Gravity is important in the formation of stars. A protostar, the earliest stage of a star, is formed from dust and gas from a nebula clumping together. The gravity pulling in is greater than the pressure pushing out. As more matter is pulled towards the core the temperature, pressure, and density increase. The gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy for individual gas particles. The gas particles crash into each and create thermal energy, heating the core. A critical temperature must be met for nuclear fusion to begin. If the temperature isn’t met then a dead star is created.

Nuclear fusion marks the birth of a star. Nuclear fusion is the combination of nuclei to create a

There are two types of supernovae and three types of type 1. Type 1 supernovae are stars that accumulate so much matter from nearby that they pass Chandrasekhar limit, approximately 1.4 times the mass of the sun, and explodes. Type 1a supernovae are the brightest and they can eject materials at 10000 km/s. Type 1b supernovae lost their hydrogen layer and revealed their helium layer. Type 1c supernovae lost more mass as super red giants and lost both the hydrogen and helium layers. Type 2 supernovae are stars that run out of fuel and collapses under their own gravity. The layers can blow out at a velocity of 15,000 km/s. The energy from the explosion causes elements heavier than iron to form. Remnants of supernovae will cool and become interstellar clouds, therefore, allowing new stars to form. A supernova can radiate more energy than the sun will in its entire lifetime. The supernova can either become a neutron star or a black