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Stars are powered by nuclear reactions that fuse hydrogen into helium. The fate of many stars, once most of the hydrogen is used up, is to collapse, under gravitational pull, into a neutron star. The force of gravity becomes so large that protons and electrons are fused into neutrons in the reaction p++e−→n+ν. The entire star is then a tightly packed ball of neutrons with the density of nuclear matter.

a. Suppose the sun collapses into a neutron star. What will its radius be? Give your answer in km.

b. The sun's rotation period is now 27 days. What will its rotation period be after it collapses?

Rapidly rotating neutron stars emit pulses of radio waves at the rotation frequency and are known as pulsars.

Short Answer

Expert verified

a. The radius of the collapsed sun is 12.7km

b. The rotational period after it collapses is780μs.

Step by step solution

01

Step.1.

Calculate the radius of collapsed sun by using the relation between the volume, mass and density of the sun.

Let us assume initial radius of the sun is Rs, after collapses, the entire star is then tightly packed ball of neutrons with the density of nuclear matter, let the final radius of the collapsed star be r. In the collapses process the sun's mass is unchanged, so, the density of nuclear matter is,

ÒÏnu=MSV

Here, Vis collapsed volume, MSis mass of the sun.

Rearrange above equation for V

V=MSÒÏnw

Since the volume of the collapsed sun is spherical shape, the volume of the sun is

V=43πr3……(2)

Here, ris radius of the collapsed sun

Equating equations (1) and (2) and rearrange for r

43Ï€r3=MSÒÏmur=34MSÏ€ÒÏnu3

Substitute 1.99×1030kgfor MS,2.3×1017kg/m3for ÒÏns.

r=341.99×1030kg3.142.3×1017kg/m33=12737m1km103m=12.7km

Therefore, the radius of the collapsed sun is12.7km.

02

Part.b.

Apply the law of conservation of angular momentum to initial radius of the sun to final radius of the collapsed sun as,

(IÓ¬)after=(IÓ¬)before

Here, Imomenta of inertia, Ó¬is angular speed

Rearrange above equation Ó¬after

Ó¬after=IthateeÓ¬befaveIafter

The relation between angular speed and period of time can be expressed as,

Ó¬=2Ï€T

Now the above equation changes as

2Ï€Tafter=IbefeesIafter2Ï€TbefioeTafter=IafterIbefieeTbefine

Here, Isefuetis moment of inertia of the sun, Iafteris momenta of inertia of the neutron star

03

Step.3.

Substitute 25MsRs2for Itefine,25Msr2for Iafter.

Tafter=25Msr225MSRs2Tskfiom

Tafter=r2Rs2Ttrfies

Here, Tbefrecis rotational period of the sun

Substitute 12737mforr,6.96×108mfor Rsand 27 days for Tbefrein the equation

Tafer=(12737m)26.96×108m2(27days)86400s1day=780×10−6s1μs10−6s=780μs

Therefore, the rotational period after it collapses is 780μs.

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