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Chapter 19: Problem 13

What does it mean when an astronomer says that a star "moves" from one place to another on an H-R diagram?

Short Answer

Expert verified
When a star 'moves' on an H-R diagram, it signifies a change in the star's physical characteristics, either in luminosity, temperature or both, reflecting a change in its life cycle or evolution stage. For instance, a shift from the main sequence towards the Giants region implies that the star is evolving into a Giant, having depleted its hydrogen fuel.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the H-R Diagram

The H-R Diagram is a tool that displays stars' luminosity versus their temperature. On the vertical Y-axis, luminosity (or absolute magnitude) is plotted, while on the horizontal X-axis, temperature (or spectral type or color) is plotted. The diagram is divided into different regions that correspond to different types of stars like Main Sequence, Giants, Supergiants and White Dwarfs.
02

Significance of a Star's Position on H-R Diagram

The location of a star on the H-R Diagram corresponds to its stage in the stellar evolution process. Stars are placed on different parts of the H-R diagram according to their spectral type, brightness, color, temperature, and size. For example, a main sequence star (like our Sun) which is in an active hydrogen burning phase will be placed along the main sequence curve on the diagram.
03

Interpretation of movement of a star on an H-R Diagram

When an astronomer says that a star 'moves' from one place to another on an H-R diagram, it means the star is changing its temperature and/or luminosity. This indicates that the star is undergoing a change in its physical characteristics or changing its stage in the stellar evolution process. For example, a star moving away from the main sequence towards the Giants section indicates that it has exhausted its hydrogen fuel and it's evolving into a Red Giant.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Discuss how H-R diagrams of star clusters could be used to set limits on the age of the universe. Could they be used to set lower limits on the age? Could they be used to set upper limits? Explain your reasoning.

Explain why the majority of the stars visible through telescopes are main- sequence stars.

Explain how and why the turnoff point on the H-R diagram of a cluster is related to the cluster's age.

The half-life of the \({ }^{8}\) Be nucleus, \(2.6 \times 10^{-16}\) second, is the average time that elapses before this unstable nucleus decays into two alpha particles. How would the universe be different if instead the \({ }^{8}\) Be half-life were zero? How would the universe be different if the \({ }^{8}\) Be nucleus were stable and did not decay?

The inverse relationship between a star's mass and its mainsequence lifetime is sometimes likened to automobiles in that the more massive vehicles, such as commercial semi-tractortrailer trucks, need to consume significantly more fuel to travel at highway speeds than more lightweight and economical vehicles. As a group, create a table called "Maximum Vehicle Driving Distances," much like Table 19-1, "MainSequence Lifetimes," by making estimates for any five vehicles of your groups' choosing. The table's column headings should be: (1) vehicle make and model; (2) estimated gas tank size; (3) cost to fill tank; (4) estimated mileage (in miles per gallon); and (5) number of miles driven on a single fill-up.
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