Lecture Outlines Chapter 21 Astronomy Today 7th Edition Chaisson/McMillan
Chapter 21 Stellar Explosions
Units of Chapter 21 21.1 Life after Death for White Dwarfs 21.2 The End of a High-Mass Star 21.3 Supernovae Supernova 1987A 21.4 The Formation of the Elements 21.5 The Cycle of Stellar Evolution
21.1 Life after Death for White Dwarfs A nova is a star that flares up very suddenly and then returns slowly to its former luminosity:
21.1 Life after Death for White Dwarfs A white dwarf that is part of a semidetached binary system can undergo repeated novas.
21.1 Life after Death for White Dwarfs Material falls onto the white dwarf from its main-sequence companion. When enough material has accreted, fusion can reignite very suddenly, burning off the new material. Material keeps being transferred to the white dwarf, and the process repeats, as illustrated here:
21.1 Life after Death for White Dwarfs This series of images shows ejected material expanding away from a star after a nova explosion:
21.2 The End of a High-Mass Star A high-mass star can continue to fuse elements in its core right up to iron (after which the fusion reaction is energetically unfavored). As heavier elements are fused, the reactions go faster and the stage is over more quickly. A 20-solar-mass star will burn carbon for about 10,000 years, but its iron core lasts less than a day.
21.2 The End of a High-Mass Star This graph shows the relative stability of nuclei. On the left, nuclei gain energy through fusion; on the right they gain it through fission: Iron is the crossing point; when the core has fused to iron, no more fusion can take place
21.2 The End of a High-Mass Star The inward pressure is enormous, due to the high mass of the star. There is nothing stopping the star from collapsing further; it does so very rapidly, in a giant implosion. As it continues to become more and more dense, the protons and electrons react with one another to become neutrons: p + e n + neutrino
21.2 The End of a High-Mass Star The neutrinos escape; the neutrons are compressed together until the whole star has the density of an atomic nucleus, about 1015 kg/m3. The collapse is still going on; it compresses the neutrons further until they recoil in an enormous explosion as a supernova.
21.3 Supernovae A supernova is incredibly luminous as can be seen from these curves and more than a million times as bright as a nova:
21.3 Supernovae A supernova is a one-time event once it happens, there is little or nothing left of the progenitor star. There are two different types of supernovae, both equally common: Type I, which is a carbon-detonation supernova, and Type II, which is the death of a high-mass star just described
21.3 Supernovae Carbon-detonation supernova: white dwarf that has accumulated too much mass from binary companion If the white dwarf s mass exceeds 1.4 solar masses, electron degeneracy can no longer keep the core from collapsing. Carbon fusion begins throughout the star almost simultaneously, resulting in a carbon explosion.
21.3 Supernovae This graphic illustrates the two different types of supernovae:
21.3 Supernovae Supernovae leave remnants the expanding clouds of material from the explosion. The Crab nebula is a remnant from a supernova explosion that occurred in the year 1054.
21.3 Supernovae The velocities of the material in the Crab nebula can be extrapolated back, using Doppler shifts, to the original explosion.
21.3 Supernovae This is the Vela supernova remnant: Extrapolation shows it exploded about 9000 BCE
Discovery 21-1: Supernova 1987A Supernovae are rare; there has not been one in our galaxy for about 400 years. A supernova, called SN1987A, did occur in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy, in 1987. Its light curve is somewhat atypical:
Discovery 21-1: Supernova 1987A A cloud of glowing gas is now visible around SN1987A, and a small central object is becoming discernible:
21.4 The Formation of the Elements There are 81 stable and 10 radioactive elements that exist on our planet. Where did they come from? This graph shows the relative abundances of different elements in the universe:
21.4 The Formation of the Elements Some of these elements are formed during normal stellar fusion. Here, three helium nuclei fuse to form carbon:
21.4 The Formation of the Elements Carbon can then fuse, either with itself or with alpha particles, to form more nuclei:
21.4 The Formation of the Elements The elements that can be formed through successive alphaparticle fusion are more abundant than those created by other fusion reactions:
21.4 The Formation of the Elements The last nucleus in the alpha-particle chain is nickel-56, which is unstable and quickly decays to cobalt-56 and then to iron56. Iron-56 is the most stable nucleus, so it neither fuses nor decays. However, within the cores of the most massive stars, neutron capture can create heavier elements, all the way up to bismuth-209. The heaviest elements are made during the first few seconds of a supernova explosion.
21.4 The Formation of the Elements This theory of formation of new elements in supernova explosions produces a light curve that agrees quite well with observed curves:
21.5 The Cycle of Stellar Evolution Star formation is cyclical: Stars form, evolve, and die. In dying, they send heavy elements into the interstellar medium. These elements then become parts of new stars. And so it goes.
Summary of Chapter 21 A nova is a star that suddenly brightens and gradually fades; it is a white dwarf whose larger partner continually transfers material to it. Stars greater than eight solar masses can have fusion in their cores going all the way up to iron, which is stable against further fusion. The star continues to collapse after the iron core is found, implodes, and then explodes as a supernova.
Summary of Chapter 21 (cont.) Two types of supernovae: Type I, a carbon-detonation supernova Type II, a core-collapse supernova All elements heavier than helium are formed in stars: Elements up to bismuth-209 are formed in stellar cores during fusion Heavier elements are created during supernova explosions
Process of Science/ Concept Checks Chapter 21 Astronomy Today 7th Edition Chaisson/McMillan
No, because it is of low mass and not a member of a binary-star system.
Because iron cannot fuse to produce energy. As a result, no further nuclear reactions are possible, and the core s equilibrium cannot be restored.
Because the two types of supernova differ in their spectra and their light curves, making it impossible to explain them in terms of a single phenomenon.
Because they are readily formed by helium capture, a process common in evolved stars. Other elements (with masses not multiples of four) had to form via less common reactions involving proton and neutron capture.
Because it is responsible for creating and dispersing all the heavy elements out of which we are made. In addition, it may also have played an important role in triggering the collapse of the interstellar cloud from which our solar system formed.
Lecture Outlines Chapter 22 Astronomy Today 7th Edition Chaisson/McMillan
Chapter 22 Neutron Stars and Black Holes
Units of Chapter 22 22.1 Neutron Stars 22.2 Pulsars 22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries 22.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts 22.5 Black Holes 22.6 Einstein s Theories of Relativity Special Relativity
Units of Chapter 22 (cont.) 22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes 22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes Tests of General Relativity Gravity Waves: A New Window on the Universe
22.1 Neutron Stars After a Type I supernova, little or nothing remains of the original star. After a Type II supernova, part of the core may survive. It is very dense as dense as an atomic nucleus and is called a neutron star.
22.1 Neutron Stars Neutron stars, although they have 1 3 solar masses, are so dense that they are very small. This image shows a 1-solar-mass neutron star, about 10 km in diameter, compared to Manhattan:
22.1 Neutron Stars Other important properties of neutron stars (beyond mass and size): Rotation as the parent star collapses, the neutron core spins very rapidly, conserving angular momentum. Typical periods are fractions of a second. Magnetic field again as a result of the collapse, the neutron star s magnetic field becomes enormously strong.
22.2 Pulsars The first pulsar was discovered in 1967. It emitted extraordinarily regular pulses; nothing like it had ever been seen before. After some initial confusion, it was realized that this was a neutron star, spinning very rapidly.
22.2 Pulsars But why would a neutron star flash on and off? This figure illustrates the lighthouse effect responsible: Strong jets of matter are emitted at the magnetic poles. If the rotation axis is not the same as the magnetic axis, the two beams will sweep out circular paths. If the Earth lies in one of those paths, we will see the star pulse.
22.2 Pulsars Pulsars radiate their energy away quite rapidly; the radiation weakens and stops in a few tens of millions of years, making the neutron star virtually undetectable. Pulsars also will not be visible on Earth if their jets are not pointing our way.
22.2 Pulsars There is a pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula; the images show it in the off and on states. The disk and jets are also visible:
22.2 Pulsars The Crab pulsar also pulses in the gamma-ray spectrum:
22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries Bursts of X-rays have been observed near the center of our galaxy. A typical one appears below, as imaged in the X-ray spectrum:
22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries These X-ray bursts are thought to originate on neutron stars that have binary partners. The process is similar to a nova, but much more energy is emitted due to the extremely strong gravitational field of the neutron star.
22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries Most pulsars have periods between 0.03 and 0.3 seconds, but a new class of pulsar was discovered in the early 1980s: the millisecond pulsar.
22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries Millisecond pulsars are thought to be spun-up by matter falling in from a companion. This globular cluster has been found to have 108 separate X-ray sources, about half of which are thought to be millisecond pulsars:
22.3 Neutron-Star Binaries In 1992, a pulsar was discovered whose period had unexpected, but very regular, variations. These variations were thought to be consistent with a planet, which must have been picked up by the neutron star, not the progenitor star:
22.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts Gamma-ray bursts also occur, and were first spotted by satellites looking for violations of nuclear test-ban treaties. This map of where the bursts have been observed shows no clumping of bursts anywhere, particularly not within the Milky Way. Therefore, the bursts must originate from outside our Galaxy.
22.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts These are some sample luminosity curves for gamma-ray bursts:
22.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts Distance measurements of some gamma bursts show them to be very far away 2 billion parsecs for the first one measured. Occasionally the spectrum of a burst can be measured, allowing distance determination:
22.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts Two models merging neutron stars or a hypernova have been proposed as the source of gamma-ray bursts:
22.5 Black Holes The mass of a neutron star cannot exceed about 3 solar masses. If a core remnant is more massive than that, nothing will stop its collapse, and it will become smaller and smaller and denser and denser. Eventually, the gravitational force is so intense that even light cannot escape. The remnant has become a black hole.
22.5 Black Holes The radius at which the escape speed from the black hole equals the speed of light is called the Schwarzschild radius. The Earth s Schwarzschild radius is about a centimeter; the Sun s is about 3 km. Once the black hole has collapsed, the Schwarzschild radius takes on another meaning it is the event horizon. Nothing within the event horizon can escape the black hole.
22.6 Einstein s Theories of Relativity Special relativity: 1. The speed of light is the maximum possible speed, and it is always measured to have the same value by all observers:
22.6 Einstein s Theories of Relativity Special relativity (cont.): 2. There is no absolute frame of reference, and no absolute state of rest. 3. Space and time are not independent but are unified as spacetime.
22.6 Einstein s Theories of Relativity General relativity: It is impossible to tell from within a closed system whether one is in a gravitational field or accelerating.
22.6 Einstein s Theories of Relativity Matter tends to warp spacetime, and in doing so redefines straight lines (the path a light beam would take): A black hole occurs when the indentation caused by the mass of the hole becomes infinitely deep.
More Precisely 22-1: Special Relativity In the late 19th century, Michelson and Morley did an experiment to measure the variation in the speed of light with respect to the direction of the Earth s motion around the Sun. They found no variation light always traveled at the same speed. This later became the foundation of special relativity. Taking the speed of light to be constant leads to some counterintuitive effects length contraction, time dilation, the relativity of simultaneity, and the mass equivalent of energy.
22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes The gravitational effects of a black hole are unnoticeable outside of a few Schwarzschild radii black holes do not suck in material any more than an extended mass would.
22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes Matter encountering a black hole will experience enormous tidal forces that will both heat it enough to radiate, and tear it apart:
22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes A probe nearing the event horizon of a black hole will be seen by observers as experiencing a dramatic redshift as it gets closer, so that time appears to be going more and more slowly as it approaches the event horizon. This is called a gravitational redshift it is not due to motion, but to the large gravitational fields present. The probe, however, does not experience any such shifts; time would appear normal to anyone inside.
22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes (cont.) Similarly, a photon escaping from the vicinity of a black hole will use up a lot of energy doing so; it cannot slow down, but its wavelength gets longer and longer
22.7 Space Travel Near Black Holes What s inside a black hole? No one knows, of course; present theory predicts that the mass collapses until its radius is zero and its density is infinite, but it is unlikely that this actually happens. Until we learn more about what happens in such extreme conditions, the interiors of black holes will remain a mystery.
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes Black holes cannot be observed directly, as their gravitational fields will cause light to bend around them.
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes This bright star has an unseen companion that is a strong X-ray emitter called Cygnus X-1, which is thought to be a black hole:
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes The existence of black-hole binary partners for ordinary stars can be inferred by the effect the holes have on the star s orbit, or by radiation from infalling matter.
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes Cygnus X-1 is a very strong black-hole candidate: Its visible partner is about 25 solar masses. The system s total mass is about 35 solar masses, so the X-ray source must be about 10 solar masses. Hot gas appears to be flowing from the visible star to an unseen companion. Short time-scale variations indicate that the source must be very small.
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes There are several other blackhole candidates as well, with characteristics similar to those of Cygnus X-1. The centers of many galaxies contain supermassive black holes about 1 million solar masses.
22.8 Observational Evidence for Black Holes Recently, evidence for intermediate-mass black holes has been found; these are about 100 to 1000 solar masses. Their origin is not well understood.
More Precisely 22-1: Tests of General Relativity Deflection of starlight by the sun s gravity was measured during the solar eclipse of 1919; the results agreed with the predictions of general relativity.
More Precisely 22-1: Tests of General Relativity Another prediction the orbit of Mercury should precess due to general relativistic effects near the Sun; again, the measurement agreed with the prediction.
Discovery 22-1: Gravity Waves: A New Window on the Universe General relativity predicts that orbiting objects should lose energy by emitting gravitational radiation. The amount of energy is tiny, and these waves have not yet been observed directly. However, a neutron-star binary system has been observed (two neutron stars); the orbits of the stars are slowing at just the rate predicted if gravity waves are carrying off the lost energy.
Discovery 22-1: Gravity Waves: A New Window on the Universe This figure shows LIGO, the Laser Interferometric Gravitywave Observatory, designed to detect gravitational waves. It has been operating since 2003, but no waves have been detected yet.
Summary of Chapter 22 Supernova may leave behind a neutron star. Neutron stars are very dense, spin rapidly, and have intense magnetic fields. Neutron stars may appear as pulsars due to the lighthouse effect. A neutron star in a close binary may become an X-ray burster or a millisecond pulsar. Gamma-ray bursts are probably due to two neutron stars colliding or hypernova.
Summary of Chapter 22 (cont.) If core remnant is more than about 3 solar masses, it collapses into black hole. We need general relativity to describe black holes; it describes gravity as the warping of spacetime. Anything entering within the event horizon of a black hole cannot escape. The distance from the event horizon to the singularity is called the Schwarzschild radius.
Summary of Chapter 22 (cont.) A distant observer would see an object entering black hole subject to extreme gravitational redshift and time dilation. Material approaching a black hole will emit strong Xrays. A few such X-ray sources have been found and are black-hole candidates.
Process of Science/ Concept Checks Chapter 22 Astronomy Today 7th Edition Chaisson/McMillan
No only Type II supernovae. According to theory, the rebounding central core of the original star in a Type II supernova becomes a neutron star.
Because (1) not all supernovae form neutron stars, (2) the pulses are beamed, so not all pulsing neutron stars are visible from Earth, and (3) pulsars spin down and become too faint to observe after a few tens of millions of years.
Some X-ray sources are binaries containing accreting neutron stars, which may be in the process of being spun up to form millisecond pulsars.
They are energetic bursts of gamma rays, roughly isotropically distributed on the sky, occurring about once per day. They pose a challenge because they are very distant, and hence extremely luminous, but their energy originates in a region less than a few hundred kilometers across. There also appear to be two distinct types, with different energy generation mechanisms.
Newton s theory describes gravity as a force produced by a massive object that influences all other massive objects. Einstein s relativity describes gravity as a curvature of space-time produced by a massive object; that curvature then determines the trajectories of all particles matter or radiation in the universe.
Because the object would appear to take infinitely long to reach the event horizon, and its light would be infinitely redshifted by the time it got there.
By observing their gravitational effects on other objects, and from the X rays emitted as matter plunges toward the event horizon.