Why do theorists place an upper limit of 500 solar masses on Population III stars?

Answer 1

Well sweetheart, those theorists ain't playing around when they say Pop III stars can't grow bigger than a potbelly pig. They reckon that once a star clocks in at about 500 solar masses, its gravity just becomes too dang strong for it to hold itself together, and it ends up throwing a cosmic hissy fit called a pair-instability supernova. So, to keep things from getting messier than a pig in a mud pit, they stick that 500 solar mass limit on those bright beauties.

Answer 2

Theorists place an upper limit of 500 solar masses on Population III stars because stars with masses above this limit would not be able to form due to the intense radiation pressure and energy generated during their formation process. This limit is based on the physical constraints of how stars are able to form and evolve.

Answer 3

Well, of course, my friend! Theorists believe there is an upper limit of 500 solar masses for Population III stars because if a star has more mass than that, the intense radiation it produces would blow off a lot of its material, preventing it from growing much larger. Just like when you bake a cake so big that it would collapse under its weight, the limits of nature guide these majestic giants as well, creating a delicate balance in the cosmic dance of the universe. So my dear, let me tell you this, our stars, in all their grandeur, understand the art of harmonious existence.

Answer 4

Oh, dude, theorists place an upper limit of 500 solar masses on Population III stars because they are like the divas of the star world - anything over that, and they're just too extra to handle. Like, imagine a star strutting around with more than 500 solar masses, demanding only blue M&M's in their dressing room - it's just too much drama for the universe to handle, you know? So yeah, that's why the limit is there.

Answer 5

Theorists place an upper limit of 500 solar masses on Population III stars based on several factors:

1. Thermal Instability: As a star grows in mass, its core temperature increases due to gravitational compression. When the core temperature reaches a certain threshold, it can initiate nuclear fusion, creating pressure that counteracts gravitational collapse. However, if the mass of the star exceeds a certain limit (around 500 solar masses), the core temperature becomes so high that it triggers rapid nuclear fusion, leading to a runaway reaction known as a pair-instability supernova. This explosion completely disrupts the star, preventing it from reaching higher masses.

2. Radiative Pressure: In massive stars, the radiation emitted from the core exerts outward pressure, counteracting gravity. This radiation pressure becomes so strong in stars above 500 solar masses that it can disrupt the accretion of additional mass onto the star. This effectively limits the growth of the star to around 500 solar masses.

3. Pair-Instability Supernovae: As mentioned earlier, stars exceeding 500 solar masses are prone to experiencing pair-instability supernovae. These incredibly energetic explosions are triggered by the conversion of gamma rays into particle-antiparticle pairs in the star's core, leading to a catastrophic disruption of the star. The energy released in these supernovae can prevent the star from further accreting mass beyond the 500-solar mass limit.

4. Fragmentation and Fragmentation-Driven Star Formation: In the early universe where Population III stars formed, the primordial gas clouds from which these stars formed were subject to fragmentation due to various physical processes. Fragmentation can lead to the formation of multiple lower-mass stars instead of a single high-mass star. This process further constrains the upper limit on the masses of Population III stars.

Overall, a combination of thermal instability, radiative pressure, pair-instability supernovae, and fragmentation processes effectively limits the mass of Population III stars to around 500 solar masses in theoretical models.