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After a star has burned out its fuel supply, exhausting the hydrogen and helium that are being fused, one of three things can happen, depending on the mass of the star.
For a star with a mass similar to the Sun, it will turn into a white dwarf and radiate its remaining heat into space for billions of years. It will end its life as a black dwarf. (Though none exist at the moment, as the universe is not old enough).
For larger stars, depending on its chemical composition and temperature, the star explodes as a supernova and usually collapses into a neutron star. If the remaining mass is large enough, the pressure will be insufficient to stop a total collapse, and the star will become a black hole.
A supernova remnant [See Link] is the structure resulting from the massive explosion of a star in a supernova. The remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, including ejected material from the explosion and the interstellar material it sweeps up along the way.
The supernova explosion expels much or all of the stellar material with velocities around 3,000 km/s. When this material collides with the surrounding circumstellar or interstellar gas, it forms a shock wave that can heat the gas up to temperatures as high as 10 million °K, forming a plasma.
The stages involved are:
# Free expansion of the ejecta, until it sweeps up its own weight in circumstellar or interstellar medium. This can last tens to a few hundred years depending on the density of the surrounding gas. # Sweeping up of a shell of shocked circumstellar and interstellar gas. # Cooling of the shell, to form a thin, dense shell surrounding the hot interior. This is the pressure-driven phase. # Cooling of the interior. The dense shell continues to expand from its own momentum. # Merging with the surrounding interstellar medium. After roughly a million years, it will merge into the general turbulent flow, contributing its remaining kinetic energy to the turbulence. There are three types of remnant:
* Shell-like, such as Cassiopeia A * Composite, where the shell contains a central pulsar wind nebula, such as G11.2-0.3. * Mixed-morphology ("thermal composite") remnants, in which central thermal X-ray emissions are seen, enclosed by a radio shell.
*The illumination of the gases by heating provides the spectacular light-and-shadow appearance of supernova nebulae. It is believed that these dense clouds can become the stellar "nurseries" for further generations of stars.
What else can I help you with?
Are pulsars found in supernova remnants.?
Yes, pulsars are often found in supernova remnants. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation, and they are formed when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion. The remnants of the supernova provide the environment from which the pulsar originates.
What element is normally a rement of a supernova?
Elements such as gold, silver, and uranium are typically remnants of a supernova explosion. These heavy elements are formed during the intense energy release of a supernova event.
What is the Vela Supernova?
The Vela Supernova is the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred in the Vela constellation about 11,000 to 12,300 years ago. It is located about 800 light-years away from Earth and is one of the closest known supernova remnants to us.
What shape is a supernova?
At the initial explosion, they would be spherical as pressure would be equal around the dying star. However as the expanding gases cool and mix, they can take on any shape imaginable. [See Link for pictures]
What is the fuel for a supernova?
A supernova occurs when a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, typically hydrogen and helium, leading to a collapse under its own gravity. In the case of a massive star (Type II supernova), the core collapses after fusing heavier elements up to iron, which cannot produce energy through fusion. For a white dwarf (Type Ia supernova), it accumulates material from a companion star until it reaches a critical mass and undergoes a thermonuclear explosion. Thus, the "fuel" for a supernova is the remnants of nuclear fusion processes in a star's life cycle.
Do all supernova remnants contain pulsars?
No. Some supernova remnants contain black holes.
Are pulsars found in supernova remnants.?
Yes, pulsars are often found in supernova remnants. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation, and they are formed when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion. The remnants of the supernova provide the environment from which the pulsar originates.
Why do supernova remnants emit X rays?
because they are filled with hot gas
What element is normally a rement of a supernova?
Elements such as gold, silver, and uranium are typically remnants of a supernova explosion. These heavy elements are formed during the intense energy release of a supernova event.
What are the different kinds of nebula?
Reflection, Hydrogen, Dark, Planetary, Supernova Remnants, Emission.
What is the Vela Supernova?
The Vela Supernova is the remnant of a supernova explosion that occurred in the Vela constellation about 11,000 to 12,300 years ago. It is located about 800 light-years away from Earth and is one of the closest known supernova remnants to us.
What shape is a supernova?
At the initial explosion, they would be spherical as pressure would be equal around the dying star. However as the expanding gases cool and mix, they can take on any shape imaginable. [See Link for pictures]
What is the fuel for a supernova?
A supernova occurs when a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, typically hydrogen and helium, leading to a collapse under its own gravity. In the case of a massive star (Type II supernova), the core collapses after fusing heavier elements up to iron, which cannot produce energy through fusion. For a white dwarf (Type Ia supernova), it accumulates material from a companion star until it reaches a critical mass and undergoes a thermonuclear explosion. Thus, the "fuel" for a supernova is the remnants of nuclear fusion processes in a star's life cycle.
The interstellar medium is enriched with heavy elements by the remnants of what?
The interstellar medium is enriched with heavy elements by the remnants of supernova explosions. Supernovae are massive stellar explosions that release heavy elements such as carbon, oxygen, and iron into space, enriching the surrounding interstellar medium with these elements.
Why do all stars end in a supernova?
Oops! Not all stars end up as a supernova. To become a Type 2 supernova, the star has to be between 8 and 50 times larger than the Sun.
What type of supernova will Betelgeuse be?
Betelgeuse is expected to end its life in a supernova explosion, likely as a Type II supernova due to its massive size and age. This type of supernova occurs when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity.
How many types of nebulas are there that are known?
There are primarily five types of nebulas: planetary nebulas, reflection nebulas, emission nebulas, dark nebulas, and supernova remnants. Each type of nebula has distinct characteristics and origins.
