The Life Cycle of Stars

A Note Taking Experience.

 Cycle for all stars
• Stage One- A star is born in a vast, dense cl
oud of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium, an
d dust called a Nebula.
• Stage Two - As a nebula collapses, gravity
pulls the hydrogen gas in the nebula togethe
r and it begins to spin; as the gas spins faste
r, it heats up and is known as a Protostar.
• Once a protostar forms and the temperature
reaches 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, a star t
urn hydrogen into helium within its Core by
Nuclear Fusion.
• Stage Three - The cloud begins to glow bri
ghtly and at this temperature it contracts and
becomes stable as a Main Sequence Star/Ye
llow Star. Our Sun is in this stage right now
.
• As the Main Sequence Star glows, hydrogen
in the core is converted into helium by Nucl
ear Fusion.
http://www.waowen.screaming.net/revision/universe/msstar.htm.

• http://www.waowen.screaming.net/revision/universe/redgiant.htm
Hydrostatic Equilibrium
• In a steadily burning star on
the main sequence, the
outward pressure of hot
gas exactly balances the
inward pull of gravity. This
is true at every point within
the star, guaranteeing its
stability.
• Stage Four - When the hydrogen supply in t
he core begins to run out, the core becomes
unstable and contracts; the outer shell of the
star which is still mostly hydrogen, starts to
expand. As it expands, it cools and glows r
ed; it has now reached the Red Giant Phase.
 Mass of Star Determines Fate
• All stars evolve the same way up to the Red
Giant Phase. The amount of mass a star has
determines which of the following life cycle
paths it will take after the Red Giant Phase.
• Small Stars
• Massive Stars
 Fate of Small Stars
• Stage Five- Helium atoms in the core fuse t
o form carbon atoms; the hydrogen gas in th
e outer shell is blown away to form a ring ar
ound the core called a Planetary Nebula
• Stage Six- Gravity causes the last of the star
’s matter to collapse inward and compact int
o an extremely dense White Dwarf core that
glows with a white hot light.
• Stage Seven - Once all of a white dwarf’s e
nergy is gone, it no longer emits light, reach
ing the Black Dwarf phase in which it will f
orever remain. A completely dead star that i
s dark and cold.

• This is the end of a small star’s life.

 Fate of a Massive Star
• In the next million years, a series of nuclear
reactions occur forming a carbon atoms fro
m the fusion of helium atoms; gravity conti
nues to pull carbon atoms together as the te
mperature increases forming oxygen, nitrog
en, and eventually iron. GETTING HEAV
Y!
• Stage Five - Fusion stops and the iron atom
s start to absorb energy; this energy is event
ually release in a powerful explosion called
a Supernova; a supernova can light up the s
ky for weeks.
• Stage Six a - The core of a massive star that
is 1.5 to 4 times as massive as our Sun ends
up as a Neutron Star after the supernova;neu
tron stars spin rapidly giving off radio wave
s emitted in pulses, these neutron stars are c
alled Pulsars.
• Stage Six b - The core of a massive star that
has 8 or more times the mass of our Sun re
mains massive; no nuclear fusion takes plac
e to support the core, so it is swallowed by i
ts own gravity becoming a Black Hole.
HR Diagram