The Life Cycle of Larger Stars Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
List the stages in the life cycle of a star with a mass much larger than the Sun.
Nebula → protostar → main sequence star → red supergiant → supernova → neutron star or black hole
What is a supernova?
A huge explosion of a red supergiant, which happens when its core collapses.
What is a neutron star?
An extremely dense remnant core left after a supernova.
What decides whether a supernova leaves a neutron star or a black hole?
The mass of the remaining core: the most massive cores become black holes, less massive ones become neutron stars.
What is a black hole?
An object so dense that its gravitational field is strong enough to stop even light escaping.
How does the density of a neutron star compare with that of the Sun?
Far greater — a mass similar to the Sun's is squeezed into a radius of only about km.