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Chapter 20: Problem 61

The similar names white dwarf, red dwarf, and brown dwarf describe three very different kinds of objects. Suggest better names for these three kinds of objects, and describe how your names more accurately describe the objects' properties.

Short Answer

Expert verified
'Stellar Ember' for white dwarf, 'Persistent Dim Star' for red dwarf, and 'Failed Star' for brown dwarf.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Current Names

Regardless of their names, know the properties of each celestial body. A white dwarf is a small hot white star that's the final evolution phase of stars like the Sun. A red dwarf is a small, cool star on the main sequence. A brown dwarf is a celestial object with mass between the heaviest gas giants and the lightest stars, lacking the nuclear fusion in its core that's necessary to be classified as a star.
02

Generate New Names

Consider each celestial object's crucial characteristics when thinking of new names. For example, a white dwarf could be renamed as a 'stellar ember' to reflect its status as the 'burned out' remains of a star. A red dwarf could be renamed a 'persistent dim star' because it cools and dims slowly and lasts longer than other stars. A brown dwarf could be called a 'failed star' because it lacks the heat and pressure in its core to trigger nuclear fusion.
03

Descriptive Summary

Summarize how your new names more accurately reflect the properties of each object. For instance, 'stellar ember' reflects the star's burned-out status, 'persistent dim star' portrays its long-lasting dimness, and a 'failed star' clearly represents its deficiency of nuclear fusion.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

There may have been recent supernovae in our Galaxy that have not been observable even though they are incredibly luminous. How is it this possible?

Consider a high-mass star just prior to a supernova explosion, with a core of diameter \(20 \mathrm{~km}\) and density \(4 \times 10^{17}\) \(\mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{m}^{3}\). (a) Calculate the mass of the core. Give your answer in kilograms and in solar masses. (b) Calculate the force of gravity on a 1-kg object at the surface of the core. How many times larger is this than the gravitational force on such an object at the surface of the Earth, which is about 10 newtons? (c) Calculate the escape speed from the surface of the star's core. Give your answer in \(\mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s}\) and as a fraction of the speed of light. What does this tell you about how powerful a supernova explosion must be in order to blow material away from the star's core?

The red supergiant Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion will explode as a supernova at some time in the future. Use the Stamy Night Entbusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program to investigate how the supernova might appear if this explosion were to happen tonight. Click the Home button in the toolbar to show the sky as seen from your location at the present time. (If the program does not place you at your true location, use the Viewing Location ... command in the Options menu.) Use the Find pane to locate Betelgeuse. If Betelgeuse is below the horizon, allow the program to reset the time to when it is visible. (a) At what time does Betelgeuse rise on today's date? At what time does it set? (b) If Betelgeuse became a supernova today, would it be visible in the daytime? How would it appear at night? Do you think it would cast shadows? (c) Are Betelgeuse and the Moon both in the night sky tonight? (Use the Find pane to locate the Moon.) If they are, and Betelguese were to become a supernova, what kinds of shadows might they both cast?

What is the difference between a red giant and a red supergiant?

The major final product of silicon fusion is \({ }^{56} \mathrm{Fe}\), an isotope of iron with 26 protons and 30 neutrons. This is also the most common isotope of iron found on Earth. Discuss what this tells you about the origin of the solar system.
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