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What is the massive ball of plasma that shines?
The Sun is a massive ball of plasma that shines due to nuclear fusion reactions occurring in its core, releasing energy in the form of light and heat.
How are stars formed, step by step, from the initial collapse of a cloud of gas and dust to the ignition of nuclear fusion in their cores?
Stars are formed through a series of steps starting with the gravitational collapse of a cloud of gas and dust. As the cloud collapses, it heats up and forms a protostar. The protostar continues to contract and heat up until the core reaches temperatures high enough for nuclear fusion to begin. Once nuclear fusion ignites in the core, the star is born and begins to shine brightly.
What causes a black hole to form in space?
A black hole forms when a massive star collapses under its own gravity after running out of fuel for nuclear fusion. This collapse causes the star's core to become extremely dense, creating a gravitational pull so strong that not even light can escape, forming a black hole.
How is a black hole made and what are the key processes involved in its formation?
A black hole is formed when a massive star collapses under its own gravity at the end of its life cycle. The key processes involved in its formation include the core of the star running out of nuclear fuel, leading to a rapid collapse and the formation of a singularity, a point of infinite density. This collapse causes the outer layers of the star to be expelled in a supernova explosion, leaving behind a dense core that can further collapse into a black hole if it is massive enough.
What is a carbon fusion?
Carbon fusion is a stage towards the end of a star's life. See para below and link Carbon burning starts when helium burning ends. During helium fusion, stars build up an inert core rich in carbon and oxygen. Once the helium density drops below a level at which He burning can be sustained, the core collapses due to gravitation. This decrease in volume raises temperature and density of the core up to the carbon ignition temperature. This will raise the star's temperature around the core allowing it to burn helium in a shell around the core. The star increases in size and becomes a red supergiant.
What is the life cycle of a massive star?
The life cycle of a massive star begins with the gravitational collapse of a gas cloud, leading to nuclear fusion in its core. It progresses through stages of burning hydrogen, then helium, and eventually heavier elements up to iron. Once iron forms, fusion ceases, resulting in core collapse and leading to a supernova explosion. The remnants may become a neutron star or black hole, depending on the star's initial mass.
What makes a high mass star's core collapse?
A high mass star's core collapses when nuclear fusion ceases and gravitational pressure overwhelms the radiation pressure supporting the core. This collapse leads to a rapid increase in temperature and pressure, triggering a supernova explosion.
The final core element for a massive star is?
The final core element for a massive star is iron. When a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, iron builds up in its core due to fusion reactions. Iron cannot undergo further fusion to release energy, leading to a collapse and subsequent supernova explosion.
A massive star with what element does nuclear fusion stop?
A massive star with iron in its core will stop nuclear fusion, leading to its collapse and eventual explosion as a supernova. Iron is the element at which fusion becomes endothermic, meaning energy is no longer released in the process.
What happens to a massive star when its fusion period is over?
Once a star's nuclear fusion has ended, it will collapse inside its core and become what is known as a white dwarf. Its outer layers will shoot out into the universe as planet nebula. If they are very large, stars will explode into a Supernova and their core will collapse into a black hole.
In stars more massive than the Sun fusion continues until the core is almost all?
Iron. Iron is the heaviest element that can be produced through nuclear fusion in a star, and once the core of a massive star is mostly composed of iron, it can no longer sustain fusion reactions. This triggers its collapse and ultimately leads to a supernova explosion.
When is the core collapse phase at the end of the life of a massive star triggered?
The core collapse of a massive star comences as the core has finished fusing the rest of its fuel into iron, the last and heaviest element forged in high-mass stars. At this point the risidual energy put out by the fusing of elements is not worth the energy it takes to fuse them together. Since the fusion process is no longer being carried out, the thermal radiation that is being created by thermonuclear fusion in the core is no longer available and cannot continue to push outward in the opposite direction of the force of gravity, so the impending collapse is triggered then by the ultimate win-out of gravity against the star's internal forces.
Why does the core collapse once fusion stops?
The energy released by fusion in the core of a star produces an outward pressured force that counteracts gravity. When fusion stops, that force goes away and gravity takes hold, causing the core to collapse.
Why does a red giant core collapse?
A red giant core collapses primarily due to the exhaustion of nuclear fuel in its core, specifically helium after hydrogen has been depleted. As nuclear fusion slows, the outward pressure from fusion decreases, allowing gravity to dominate and compress the core further. This collapse raises the core's temperature and pressure until it can ignite the next stage of fusion, often leading to the formation of heavier elements. Eventually, this process can trigger a supernova explosion if the star is massive enough.
What is the core of the star left after a sopernova exsplosion called?
Several types of supernovae exist. Types I and II can be triggered in one of two ways, either turning off or suddenly turning on the production of energy through nuclear fusion. After the core of an aging massive star ceases generating energy from nuclear fusion, it may undergo sudden gravitational collapse into a neutron star or black hole, releasing gravitational potential energy that heats and expels the star's outer layers.
When fusion is unable to supply further energy in a massive star?
When fusion is unable to supply further energy in a massive star, the core contracts under gravity, leading to an increase in temperature and pressure. This process occurs after the star has exhausted its nuclear fuel, and different fusion processes can no longer sustain the outward pressure needed to counteract gravitational collapse. Eventually, this can lead to the formation of iron in the core, which does not yield energy through fusion, resulting in a catastrophic collapse that triggers a supernova explosion. The remnants may form a neutron star or black hole, depending on the mass of the original star.
What element is produced by fusion in the star before a super nova occurs?
Before a supernova occurs, a massive star undergoes fusion to produce iron in its core. As fusion progresses, the star creates heavier elements up to iron, which cannot release energy through fusion. When the core becomes predominantly iron, it can no longer support the star against gravitational collapse, leading to a supernova explosion.
