The of Cycle of Stars

Hertzsrung Russell Diagrams

 Good old Thermal energy, soothing we all know about – or at least heat

But do we?

“this classroom is freezing,”

“this soup is too hot”

It’s all about
energy “it feels warm outside”

All of these expressions seem to refer to the same idea. However, each
relates to a different
concept:

temperature, thermal energy, or heat!!

 Kinetic molecular theory (KMT) explains that all matter
is composed of particles (atoms and molecules).
Energy and
These particles move constantly in random directions.
state: kinetic
molecular Kinetic energy is the energy of a particle or an object
due to its motion.
theory.
When particles collide, kinetic energy is transferred
between them
 The particles of a substance are bonded together
differently depending on the state of the substance.

Solid - particles are very close together and vibrate

slowly

Particles in Liquid - particles are farther apart and move more

‘fluidly’.
motion
Gas – particles spread even farther apart and move
faster.

Particles of a substance move faster when the

temperature of the substance increases.
 Even within a pure substance, in which the particles
are identical, the kinetic energy will vary.

Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic

energy of all the particles in a sample of matter.
Temperature
Hot chocolate feels hot because the average kinetic
energy of its particles is higher than the average
kinetic energy of the particles in your hand.

There are three different number scales are used to

measure temperature: Fahrenheit, Celsius, and
Kelvin.
Thermal energy
• Thermal energy is the total energy of all the particles in a solid, liquid,
or gas.
• The more kinetic energy means more thermal energy.
• Ex. hot soup has more thermal energy when first served than after it
cools.
• Kinetic energy is not just energy associated
with moving particles and includes
Potential energy.
• Potential energy is the stored energy of an
object or particle, due to its position or
state.
Heat

• The terms “heat,” “temperature,” and “thermal energy” are

often used as if they have the same meaning - they don’t.
• Heat is the amount of thermal energy that transfers from an
area or object of higher temperature to an area or object of
lower temperature.
• Ex. cooking an egg. Heat flows from the hot stove to the
frying pan As the egg gains thermal energy, the kinetic energy
of the egg’s atoms and molecules increases, and so does its
temperature.
• Heat can similarly flow within and between large systems,
such as the oceans and the atmosphere.
 Big bang

So what’s First law of thermodynamics

this got to
do with the Conservation of energy

universe
then? Nuclear fission AND fusion

Oh, and the formation of the

building blocks of YOU … Atoms
 We can use these basic concepts to
study our …
“universe and the stars we see in the
night skies”
Yes, those sound like lyrics to a song …
 A star is an object in space made up of hot gases,
with a core that is like a thermonuclear reactor.

Space is by no means empty, rather it is filled with

Stars interstellar matter, which is made up of gas (mostly
hydrogen) and dust.

Dust accounts for about 1 percent of the total mass

of all interstellar matter, but still makes it hard for
astronomers to see the light from distant stars.
 1 2 3
Technology allows us to Radio and infrared This allows us to learn
“see” through the dust of telescopes, for example, the “life cycles” of stars!
interstellar matter into are able to detect and
what are often called record wavelengths of
“stellar nurseries” electromagnetic
radiation.
Birth

1 2 3 4
A star begins to form from Gravity draw materials In this early phase the star is If its mass remains small,
the materials in a nebula inward growing the stars called a “protostar,” (Proto the protostar may just
when gravity starts acting mass grows will collapses in means earliest) shrink away. If it collects
on chunks of gas and dust, on itself. enough mass the protostar’s
pulling them together. core will reach about
10,000,000°C and atoms will
fuse.
 Hydrogen atoms combine to form the heavier element helium.

Nuclear fusion creates an enormous amount of energy.

Birth
At this stage the star begins to glow and energy radiates from the
core in every direction in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Our nearest star (the Sun), creates radiation that keeps Earth
warm.
 The evolution of stars
• Stars go through predictable changes
as they age.
• All stars start in a nebula, but develop
differently depending on the new stars
mass
• (see if you can figure out where I am
going with all this … )
 • These stars start small and are dim,
cool red dwarfs.
• Red dwarfs burn their hydrogen fuel
very slowly, which means that they
Low mass stars may last for as long as 100 billion years.
• Eventually they will change into very
hot, but small, dim white dwarfs and
quietly burn out.
 Intermediate mass stars

• These are stars of similar mass to the Sun.

• Compared with low mass stars, they burn their hydrogen fuel faster, so they wont last as long; about 10
billion years.
• After a long period of stability they will expand into a red giant.
• Gradually, it sheds material into space and collapses in on itself, slowly shrinking into a small, dim white
dwarf.
• As it cools it turns into a black dwarf, a dense, dark body made up mostly of carbon and oxygen.
• Our Sun will expand to a red giant in about 5 billion years.
High mass star

• These stars are 12 or more times the mass of the

Sun.
• They consume their fuel faster, becoming red giants.
• Because they grow rapidly they expend more energy
and burn out faster.
• The life of an average high mass star is about 7 billion
years.
• Massive stars that have used their fuel become
supergiants.
 They then collapse in on themselves causing
a dramatic explosion called a supernova.

High mass Some supernovas shine so brightly that they

can be seen from Earth even in daylight.
star
Supernovas play an important role in the
universe as they spread out heavy elements
which form new things in our universe … you
are made of stars!
 So, lets recap …

• A stars is born within the clouds of dust … a nebula.

• Turbulence deep within these clouds gives rise to ‘knots’ with sufficient mass that the gas
and dust can begin to collapse under its own gravitational attraction.
• As the cloud collapses, the material at the center begins to heat up creating a protostar.
• As the cloud collapses, a dense, hot core forms and begins gathering dust and gas. Not all
of this material ends up as part of a star — remember planets, asteroids, or comets?
• When a star has fused all the hydrogen in its
core, nuclear reactions ceases.
• Without energy needed to support itself, the
core begins to collapse into itself and becomes
much hotter.
• Hydrogen still available outside the core
continues to release energy through nuclear
fusion in a shell surrounding the core.
• The increasingly hot core also pushes the
outer layers of the star outward, causing them
to expand and cool, transforming the star into
a red giant.
• In a higher mass star, the collapsing core
may support more nuclear reactions,
consume the helium and produce heavier
elements up to iron.
• Gradually, the star's internal nuclear
processes become increasingly unstable -
sometimes burning furiously, other times
dying down.
• These variations cause the star to pulsate
and throw off its outer layers.
• Hence all the changes in size …
 • Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy
of all the particles in a sample of matter.
• Heat is the amount of thermal energy transfer
• Thermal energy is the total energy of all the particles
(kinetic and potential)

So lets put it all • Energy is particles in motion

• Energy is emitted in wavelengths
together … • We can read those wavelengths
So that’s how we know the life cycle
of stars

 Example: Which has a higher temperature a campfire of a compost pile

(both are chemical reactions
So that’s how we know the life cycle
of stars

 Example: Which has a higher temperature a campfire of a compost pile

(both are chemical reactions …)
 Yep the campfire – the particles are moving faster
So that’s how we know the life cycle
of stars

 BUT … both are releasing energy, its just the campfire releases it quicker
because of the higher temperature
So that’s how we know the life cycle
of stars

 What about if the compost heap was

much bigger, say the size of a city
block!
So that’s how we know the life cycle
of stars

 Now the compost is much bigger the

energy released is much greater even
though the campfire has a higher
temperature.
REMEMBER temperature and heat are NOT
the same thing!!
So the same thing
happens with stars.

• Temperature from the colour

• Brightness using Lumens (the sun)

So Procyon is WAY hotter but Betelgeus is

brighter

Why more energy?

WAYYYYYYY
BIGGER ….
Lsun and surface temperature provides data on the stars
size

This allows us to study and compare stars, hence how

we know about the different types of strs and their life
cycles.

SoooOOOoo … we can plot all that data on a graph …

 • About 100 years ago, two astronomers began
studying data from large numbers of stars that
were visible from Earth.
The • Ejnar Hertzsprung in Holland and Henry Norris
Russell in the United States
Hertzsprung- • Working independently they but both came to
Russell the same conclusion: stars do not stay the same
forever. Rather, they follow a clear pattern of
Diagram evolutionary stages
• The two scientists’ research were brought
together to form the Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram
• This plotted data showed the relationship between a star’s luminosity and its
temperature.
• The central band of stars on the diagram marks the “main sequence” stars.
• Astronomers estimate that about 90 percent of all stars are in this phase and
their energy is coming from converting hydrogen to helium: FUSION.
• When these stars age and start to run out of hydrogen, they begin to expand and
undergo changes in temperature, colour, and luminosity, hence we can plot their
life cycles.