Universe: Stars And Galaxies
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781319115098
Author: Roger Freedman, Robert Geller, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Chapter 18, Problem 31Q
To determine
The way, a star cluster allowsastronomers to learn about the kinds of stars evolve the fastest.
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In the star clusters shown, which one is younger and why?
Select all of the statements about the main sequence stage in the life of a star that are TRUE:
All stars spend the majority of their lives in the main sequence stage.
Most stars lose a significant amount of mass while they are on the Main Sequence.
Different stars spend a different amounts of time (number of years) in the main sequence stage, depending on the characteristics they were born with.
Main sequence stars are rare in the Galaxy, so we are lucky to be living around one.
During the main sequence stage, energy to power the star is provided by the fusion of hydrogen.
Chapter 18 Solutions
Universe: Stars And Galaxies
Ch. 18 - Prob. 1QCh. 18 - Prob. 2QCh. 18 - Prob. 3QCh. 18 - Prob. 4QCh. 18 - Prob. 5QCh. 18 - Prob. 6QCh. 18 - Prob. 7QCh. 18 - Prob. 8QCh. 18 - Prob. 9QCh. 18 - Prob. 10Q
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- Are supergiant stars also extremely massive? Explain the reasoning behind your answer.arrow_forwardIf all the stars in a cluster have nearly the same age, why are clusters useful in studying evolutionary effects (different stages in the lives of stars)?arrow_forwardDescribe the two “recycling” mechanisms that are associated with stars (one during each star’s life and the other connecting generations of stars).arrow_forward
- Why are star clusters so useful for astronomers who want to study the evolution of stars?arrow_forwardYou can use the equation in Exercise 22.34 to estimate the approximate ages of the clusters in Figure 22.10, Figure 22.12, and Figure 22.13. Use the information in the figures to determine the luminosity of the most massive star still on the main sequence. Now use the data in Table 18.3 to estimate the mass of this star. Then calculate the age of the cluster. This method is similar to the procedure used by astronomers to obtain the ages of clusters, except that they use actual data and model calculations rather than simply making estimates from a drawing. How do your ages compare with the ages in the text? Figure 22.10 NGC 2264 HR Diagram. Compare this HR diagram to that in Figure 22.8; although the points scatter a bit more here, the theoretical and observational diagrams are remarkably, and satisfyingly, similar. Figure 22.12 Cluster M41. (a) Cluster M41 is older than NGC 2264 (see Figure 22.10) and contains several red giants. Some of its more massive stars are no longer close to the zero-age main sequence (red line). (b) This ground-based photograph shows the open cluster M41. Note that it contains several orange-color stars. These are stars that have exhausted hydrogen in their centers, and have swelled up to become red giants. (credit b: modification of work by NOAO/AURA/NSF) Figure 22.13 HR Diagram for an Older Cluster. We see the HR diagram for a hypothetical older cluster at an age of 4.24 billion years. Note that most of the stars on the upper part of the main sequence have turned off toward the red-giant region. And the most massive stars in the cluster have already died and are no longer on the diagram. Characteristics of Main-Sequence Starsarrow_forwardSuppose you were handed two HR diagrams for two different clusters: diagram A has a majority of its stars plotted on the upper left part of the main sequence with the rest of the stars off the main sequence; and diagram B has a majority of its stars plotted on the lower right part of the main sequence with the rest of the stars off the main sequence. Which diagram would be for the older cluster? Why?arrow_forward
- Astronomers find that 90% of the stars observed in the sky are on the main sequence of an HR diagram; why does this make sense? Why are there far fewer stars in the giant and supergiant region?arrow_forwardThe star cluster shown in this image contains a few red giants as well as main-sequence stars ranging from spectral type B to M. Discuss the likelihood that exoplanets orbiting any of these stars might be home to life. (Hint: Estimate the age of the cluster.)arrow_forwardAccording to the text, a star must be hotter than about 25,000 K to produce an H II region. Both the hottest white dwarfs and main-sequence O stars have temperatures hotter than 25,000 K. Which type of star can ionize more hydrogen? Why?arrow_forward
- How do stars typically “move” through the main sequence band on an HR diagram? Why?arrow_forwardExplain how an HR diagram of the stars in a cluster can be used to determine the age of the cluster.arrow_forwardIn which of these star groups would you mostly likely find the least heavy-element abundance for the stars within them: open clusters, globular clusters, or associations?arrow_forward
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