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Chapter 14: Problem 8

Suppose an abnormally large amount of hydrogen suddenly burned in the core of the Sun. Which of the following would be observed first? a. The Sun would become brighter. b. The Sun would swell and become larger. c. The Sun would become bluer. d. The Sun would emit more neutrinos.

Short Answer

Expert verified
d. The Sun would emit more neutrinos.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Consequence of Hydrogen Burning in the Sun

When hydrogen burns in the core of the Sun, it undergoes nuclear fusion, producing helium and releasing energy in the form of photons and neutrinos.
02

Consider the Speed of Different Products

The products of nuclear fusion include photons and neutrinos. Photons take a long time to emerge from the core and reach the surface due to constant interactions with solar material. Neutrinos, on the other hand, interact very weakly and travel straight out almost instantly.
03

Determine the First Observable Effect

Given that neutrinos travel directly from the core to the surface and interact very weakly with matter, they would be detected on Earth almost immediately after their production in the core. Changes in brightness, size, or color of the Sun (options a, b, and c) would occur after the photons have had time to travel.
04

Conclusion

The first observable effect of an abnormally large amount of hydrogen burning in the core of the Sun would be the detection of more neutrinos.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Neutrino Detection
When discussing the sudden burning of hydrogen in the Sun's core, neutrino detection is pivotal. Neutrinos are incredibly tiny, almost massless particles produced during nuclear fusion. Unlike photons, neutrinos rarely interact with other matter, allowing them to escape the Sun's core promptly.
Detectors on Earth, such as the Super-Kamiokande, capture these elusive particles. This instant escape means that any increase in neutrino production from the core will be observed on Earth nearly immediately. Thus, any sudden increase in hydrogen burning in the Sun's core would be first noticeable through a surge in detected neutrinos.
Photon Travel Time
Photons, the particles of light, also emerge from nuclear fusion in the solar core. However, their journey to the surface is anything but direct. Photons constantly interact with particles in the Sun, getting absorbed and re-emitted multiple times. This process, known as 'random walk,' significantly delays their travel time.
It can take thousands to millions of years for a photon to travel from the core to the Sun’s surface. Thus, any observable changes in the Sun's brightness, color, or size due to sudden hydrogen burning would be delayed until these photons finally escape.
Solar Core Reactions
The core reactions of the Sun encompass fusion processes where hydrogen nuclei (protons) fuse to form helium. This reaction releases an enormous amount of energy as both photons and neutrinos. The fusion of hydrogen into helium occurs most efficiently at the core, where temperatures reach about 15 million degrees Celsius.
These reactions are vital for understanding solar phenomena. The steady fusion maintains the Sun's luminosity and generates the solar neutrinos detected on Earth. Any change in fusion rate directly affects the production rate of both photons and neutrinos.
Nuclear Fusion Products
Nuclear fusion in the Sun produces several key products. The primary product is helium, formed from the fusion of hydrogen nuclei. This process releases energy in the form of photons and neutrinos. Photons are the carriers of light and heat that we receive from the Sun. The energy they carry is essential for life on Earth.
Neutrinos, though less impactful to us on a daily basis, are crucial indicators for physicists. They tell us about the happenings inside the solar core, as they are produced during fusion and travel to Earth almost without delay. The detection of these neutrinos gives us a glimpse into the interior processes of our star.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The solar corona has a temperature of 1 million to 2 million \(K\) the photosphere has a temperature of only about \(6000 \mathrm{K}\) Why isn't the corona much, much brighter than the photosphere? a. The magnetic field traps the light. b. The corona emits only X-rays. c. The photosphere is closer to us. d. The corona has a much lower density.

The Sun has a radius equal to about 2.3 light-seconds. Explain why a gamma ray produced in the Sun's core does not emerge from the Sun's surface 2.3 seconds later.

The Sun shines by converting mass into energy according to \(E=m c^{2} .\) Show that if the Sun produces \(3.85 \times 10^{26} \mathrm{J}\) of energy per second, it must convert 4.3 million metric tons \(\left(4.3 \times 10^{\circ} \mathrm{kg}\right)\) of mass per second into energy.

On Earth, nuclear power plants use \(f\) ission to generate electricity. In fission, a heavy element like uranium is broken into many atoms, where the total mass of the fragments is less than that of the original atom. Explain why fission could not be powering the Sun today.

Explain how hydrostatic equilibrium acts as a safety valve to keep the Sun at its constant size, temperature, and luminosity.
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