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Chapter 16: Problem 9

If thermonuclear fusion in the Sun were suddenly to stop, what would eventually happen to the overall radius of the Sun? Justify your answer using the ideas of hydrostatic equilibrium and thermal equilibrium.

Short Answer

Expert verified
If thermonuclear fusion in the Sun stopped, the Sun would start to collapse under its own gravity, due to an imbalance in hydrostatic equilibrium. This would result in a decrease in the radius of the sun.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the context of Sun's structure

The Sun is a star that is in a state of hydrostatic equilibrium. Inside the Sun, the gravitational force pulls everything towards the center, while the thermal pressure resulting from nuclear fusion pushes everything outwards. These two forces balance each other out, maintaining the current size and shape of the Sun.
02

Effects of stopped thermonuclear fusion

If thermonuclear fusion in the Sun were to stop, the pressure from the fusion would no longer exist. This results in an imbalance between the gravitational force (still active) and the now non-existent fusion pressure (that was pushing outwards)
03

Outcome on the Sun's overall radius

Owing to this imbalance, the gravitational force would surpass the outward force, causing the Sun to start collapsing under its own gravity. This results in a decrease in the Sun's overall radius.
04

Thermal Equilibrium

As the Sun collapses, the atoms within it would compress and increase temperature due to kinetic energy from the contraction. However, without the heat from the nuclear fusion to balance it out, thermal equilibrium isn't achieved. The exact changes in temperature and radius will depend on numerous factors and can be incredibly complex to calculate precisely

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