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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

Calculate the escape speed from (a) the surface of the presentday Sun and (b) the surface of the Sun when it becomes a red giant, with essentially the same mass as today but with a radius that is 100 times larger. (c) Explain how your results show that a red-giant star can lose mass more easily than a main- sequence star.

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?

(a) The main-sequence stars Sirius (spectral type A1), Vega (A0), Spica (B1), Fomalhaut (A3), and Regulus (B7) are among the 20 brightest stars in the sky. Explain how you can tell that all these stars are younger than the Sun. (b) The third-brightest star in the sky, although it can be seen only south of \(29^{\circ}\) north latitude, is \(\alpha\) (alpha) Centauri A. It is a main- sequence star of spectral type G2, the same as the Sun. Can you tell from this whether \(\alpha\) Centauri A is younger than the Sun, the same age, or older? Explain your reasoning.

On an H-R diagram, main-sequence stars do not lie along a single narrow line but are spread out over a band (see Figure 19-9b). On the basis of how stars evolve during their mainsequence lifetimes, explain why this should be so.

What is the difference between Population I and Population II stars? In what sense can the stars of one population be regarded as the "children" of the other population?
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