DOCSLIB.ORG

Stellar Evolution: Low Mass Stars Mass ≲2-3 Msun

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Stellar Evolution: Low Mass Stars Mass ≲2-3 Msun Stellar Evolution: Low Mass Stars Mass ≲2-3 Msun Low Mass Stars: Mass ≲1 Msun Cannot fuse elements heavier than Carbon (12C) •But what about High Mass Stars and all of those other elements??? GRAVITY •When core T=108 K, He fuses into C (& O) •What happens when the Helium runs out?? Answer Depends on MASS! PRESSURE GRAVITY •When core T=108 K, He fuses into C (& O) •Sun: 100 million yrs •Intermediate/High Mass: 100,000 yrs! PRESSURE GRAVITY •Int/High Mass Stars: Battle continues... •T ~600 mil. K, C --> O/Ne/Mg •1,000 yrs PRESSURE GRAVITY •High Mass Stars: Battle continues... •T ~1.5 Billion K! Ne fusion •a few yrs! PRESSURE GRAVITY •High Mass Stars: Battle continues... •O (1 year!) •Si (1 day!!!) PRESSURE Iron - The Nuclear Turnip •Requires energy to fuse heavier than Iron Iron - The Nuclear Turnip •Gravity takes over, outer layers collapse into iron core and.... Iron - The Nuclear Turnip BOOM!! •Supernova explosion creates more elements and sends them into space! •But what about High Mass Stars and all of those other elements??? Supernovae - Fun Facts How frequent? 3/100 years in MW How long? tcollapse < 1 second! SN Energy in seconds = Solar output over 1 Billion years! Low Mass Stars: Mass ≲1 Msun Cannot fuse elements heavier than Carbon (12C) Will the Sun ever become a Supernova? ?? BOOM? Stellar Evolution: Low Mass vs. High Mass Stars Mass ≲2-3 Msun THE ENTIRE EVOLUTION OF A STAR IS DETERMINED BY ITS MASS Mass > 3 Msun Low Mass Stars: Mass ≲1 Msun Cannot fuse elements heavier than Carbon (12C) Stellar Evolution: Low Mass vs. High Mass Stars Where do elements heavier than Fe come from? Low Mass Stars: Mass ≲1 Msun Cannot fuse elements heavier than Carbon (12C) All elements heavier than IRON were created in in Supernova Explosions! Galactic Recycling SN provide raw materials for new generations of stars!! SOUPernovae (mmmm) Early Universe: 75% H, 25% He Local Universe: 70% H, 28% He, 2% Heavy Elements Supernovae enrich the interstellar medium... ISM: 70%H, 28% He, 2% heavy Low Mass Stars: Mass ≲1 Msun Cannot fuse elements heavier than Carbon (12C) How Does SF Happen? Recall: SF happens in Giant Molecular Clouds GMCs... ...collapse to form stars How Does SF Happen? What causes the clouds to start collapsing? ?? Triggered Star Formation #1 - Supernova Shocks Triggered Star Formation - Supernova Shocks Density Enhancements Triggered Star Formation #2 - Winds from Massive Stars NGC 1999 W5 Triggered Star Formation - Winds from Massive Stars Lagoon Nebula Cavity Excavation Other Possibilities Plain Old Gravity (example: Bok Globule) Galaxy Collisions (MICE!) Starbursts @ Galactic Center Formation of Stars: Sets the Stage for Planets! Protostar + Disk Cloud Protostar Star! (T Tauri Star) Formation of Stars! 0. Cold Cloud of Gas & Dust T~30K 1. SN/wind triggers collapse (rotation) density increases, T increases 2. Protostar forms (more rotation) density increases, T ~3000K Protostar emits in infrared Formation of Stars! 0. Cold Cloud of Gas & Dust T~30K 1. SN triggers collapse (rotation) T increases 2. Protostar forms (more rotation) T ~3000K 3/4. Protostellar Disk forms T ~3000-1 Million K density increases star accretes material from disk Star + Disk emits in infrared T Tauri Stars T Tauri Stars - Accretion Disks Protostar accretes material from disk T Tauri Stars - Protostars with Disks T Tauri Stars - Disks, Jets & Winds Star Formation is Active! (jets move 100-1000 km/s) T Tauri Stars: Protostars w/Disks, Jets, Winds WHY? Allow rotational energy to escape! (conserve angular momentum) Current Model of Star Formation 0. Cold Cloud of Gas & Dust 1. SN triggers collapse (rotation) 2. Protostar forms (more rotation) 3. Protostellar Disk forms - TTauri Star 4. T reaches 10 Million K - STAR!! Current Model of Star Formation 5. T reaches 10 Million K - STAR!! (e.g. Vega) What happens to the disk?? Stellar Leftovers - DEBRIS DISK Seeds for Planet Formation!! How Do Planets Form Out of Debris Disks?? ACCRETION! Disks contain DUST Dust ACCRETES How Do Planets Form Out of Debris Disks?? ACCRETION! Slow moving particles collide and stick together Forming Planets Out of Debris Disks Dust Begins to Accrete forms PLANETESIMALS Planetesimals Collide Small Bodies Break up... Forming Planets Out of Debris Disks Planetesimals grow to form protoplanets... Protoplanets collide to form Planets! Leftovers are Asteroids, Comets, Meteoroids, & Dwarf Planets... ...fossil records of SS Formation!.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Plasma Physics and Pulsars
    Plasma Physics and Pulsars On the evolution of compact o bjects and plasma physics in weak and strong gravitational and electromagnetic fields by Anouk Ehreiser supervised by Axel Jessner, Maria Massi and Li Kejia as part of an internship at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, Bonn March 2010 2 This composition was written as part of two internships at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy in April 2009 at the Radiotelescope in Effelsberg and in February/March 2010 at the Institute in Bonn. I am very grateful for the support, expertise and patience of Axel Jessner, Maria Massi and Li Kejia, who supervised my internship and introduced me to the basic concepts and the current research in the field. Contents I. Life-cycle of stars 1. Formation and inner structure 2. Gravitational collapse and supernova 3. Star remnants II. Properties of Compact Objects 1. White Dwarfs 2. Neutron Stars 3. Black Holes 4. Hypothetical Quark Stars 5. Relativistic Effects III. Plasma Physics 1. Essentials 2. Single Particle Motion in a magnetic field 3. Interaction of plasma flows with magnetic fields – the aurora as an example IV. Pulsars 1. The Discovery of Pulsars 2. Basic Features of Pulsar Signals 3. Theoretical models for the Pulsar Magnetosphere and Emission Mechanism 4. Towards a Dynamical Model of Pulsar Electrodynamics References 3 Plasma Physics and Pulsars I. The life-cycle of stars 1. Formation and inner structure Stars are formed in molecular clouds in the interstellar medium, which consist mostly of molecular hydrogen (primordial elements made a few minutes after the beginning of the universe) and dust.
    [Show full text]
  • Spectroscopic Analysis of Accretion/Ejection Signatures in the Herbig Ae/Be Stars HD 261941 and V590 Mon T Moura, S
    Spectroscopic analysis of accretion/ejection signatures in the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD 261941 and V590 Mon T Moura, S. Alencar, A. Sousa, E. Alecian, Y. Lebreton To cite this version: T Moura, S. Alencar, A. Sousa, E. Alecian, Y. Lebreton. Spectroscopic analysis of accretion/ejection signatures in the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD 261941 and V590 Mon. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy P - Oxford Open Option A, 2020, 494 (3), pp.3512-3535. 10.1093/mnras/staa695. hal-02523038 HAL Id: hal-02523038 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02523038 Submitted on 16 May 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. MNRAS 000,1–24 (2019) Preprint 27 February 2020 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Spectroscopic analysis of accretion/ejection signatures in the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD 261941 and V590 Mon T. Moura1?, S. H. P. Alencar1, A. P. Sousa1;2, E. Alecian2, Y. Lebreton3;4 1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Física, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901, Brazil 2Univ. Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France 3LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ.
    [Show full text]
  • XIII Publications, Presentations
    XIII Publications, Presentations 1. Refereed Publications E., Kawamura, A., Nguyen Luong, Q., Sanhueza, P., Kurono, Y.: 2015, The 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign: First Results from Aasi, J., et al. including Fujimoto, M.-K., Hayama, K., Kawamura, High Angular Resolution Observations toward the HL Tau Region, S., Mori, T., Nishida, E., Nishizawa, A.: 2015, Characterization of ApJ, 808, L3. the LIGO detectors during their sixth science run, Classical Quantum ALMA Partnership, et al. including Asaki, Y., Hirota, A., Nakanishi, Gravity, 32, 115012. K., Espada, D., Kameno, S., Sawada, T., Takahashi, S., Ao, Y., Abbott, B. P., et al. including Flaminio, R., LIGO Scientific Hatsukade, B., Matsuda, Y., Iono, D., Kurono, Y.: 2015, The 2014 Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration: 2016, Astrophysical Implications ALMA Long Baseline Campaign: Observations of the Strongly of the Binary Black Hole Merger GW150914, ApJ, 818, L22. Lensed Submillimeter Galaxy HATLAS J090311.6+003906 at z = Abbott, B. P., et al. including Flaminio, R., LIGO Scientific 3.042, ApJ, 808, L4. Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration: 2016, Observation of ALMA Partnership, et al. including Asaki, Y., Hirota, A., Nakanishi, Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger, Phys. Rev. K., Espada, D., Kameno, S., Sawada, T., Takahashi, S., Kurono, Lett., 116, 061102. Y., Tatematsu, K.: 2015, The 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign: Abbott, B. P., et al. including Flaminio, R., LIGO Scientific Observations of Asteroid 3 Juno at 60 Kilometer Resolution, ApJ, Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration: 2016, GW150914: Implications 808, L2. for the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Binary Black Alonso-Herrero, A., et al. including Imanishi, M.: 2016, A mid-infrared Holes, Phys.
    [Show full text]
  • New Herbig±Haro Objects and Giant Outflows in Orion
    Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 310, 331±354 (1999) New Herbig±Haro objects and giant outflows in Orion S. L. Mader,1 W. J. Zealey,1 Q. A. Parker2 and M. R. W. Masheder3,4 1Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia 2Anglo-Australian Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW 2357, Australia 3Department of Physics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL 4Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy, PO Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands Accepted 1999 June 29. Received 1999 May 11; in original form 1998 June 25 ABSTRACT We present the results of a photographic and CCD imaging survey for Herbig±Haro (HH) objects in the L1630 and L1641 giant molecular clouds in Orion. The new HH flows were initially identified from a deep Ha film from the recently commissioned AAO/UKST Ha Survey of the southern sky. Our scanned Ha and broad-band R images highlight both the improved resolution of the Ha survey and the excellent contrast of the Ha flux with respect to the broad-band R. Comparative IVN survey images allow us to distinguish between emission and reflection nebulosity. Our CCD Ha,[Sii], continuum and I-band images confirm the presence of a parsec-scale HH flow associated with the Ori I-2 cometary globule, and several parsec-scale strings of HH emission centred on the L1641-N infrared cluster. Several smaller outflows display one-sided jets. Our results indicate that, for declinations south of 268 in L1641, parsec-scale flows appear to be the major force in the large-scale movement of optical dust and molecular gas.
    [Show full text]
  • Radio Constraints on Activity in Young Brown Dwarfs
    in prep. Radio Constraints on Activity in Young Brown Dwarfs Rachel A. Osten1 Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421, U.S.A. Electronic Mail: [email protected] Ray Jayawardhana Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8, CANADA Electronic Mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT We report on searches for radio emission from three of the nearest known young brown dwarfs using the Very Large Array. We have obtained sensitive upper limits on 3.6cm emission from 2MASSW J1207334-393254, TWA 5B and SSSPM J1102-3431, all of which are likely members of the ∼8-Myr-old TW Hy- drae association. We derive constraints on the magnetic field strength and the number density of accelerated electrons, under the assumption that young brown dwarf atmospheres are able to produce gyrosynchrotron emission, as seems to be indicated in older brown dwarfs. For the young brown dwarf TWA 5B, the ratio of its detected X-ray luminosity to the upper limit on radio luminosity places arXiv:astro-ph/0604521v2 27 Apr 2006 it within the expected range for young stars and older, active stars. Thus, its behavior is anomalous compared to older brown dwarfs, in which radio luminos- ity is substantially enhanced over the expected relationship. Our observations deepen the conundrum of magnetic activity in brown dwarfs, and suggest that a factor other than age is more important for determining radio emission in cool substellar objects. Subject headings: stars: activity – stars: coronae – stars: low mass, brown dwarfs – stars: pre-main-sequence – radio continuum 1Hubble Fellow –2– 1.
    [Show full text]
  • A Joint Chandra and Swift View of the 2015 X-Ray Dust Scattering Echo of V404 Cygni S
    Draft version July 20, 2021 Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 5/2/11 A JOINT CHANDRA AND SWIFT VIEW OF THE 2015 X-RAY DUST SCATTERING ECHO OF V404 CYGNI S. Heinz1, L. Corrales2, R. Smith3, W.N. Brandt4,5,6, P.G. Jonker7,8, R.M. Plotkin9,10, and J. Neilsen2,11 Draft version July 20, 2021 Abstract We present a combined analysis of the Chandra and Swift observations of the 2015 X-ray echo of V404 Cygni. Using stacking analysis, we identify eight separate rings in the echo. We reconstruct the soft X-ray lightcurve of the June 2015 outburst using the high-resolution Chandra images and cross-correlations of the radial intensity profiles, indicating that about 70% of the outburst fluence occurred during the bright flare at the end of the outburst on MJD 57199.8. By deconvolving the intensity profiles with the reconstructed outburst lightcurve, we show that the rings correspond to eight separate dust concentrations with precise distance determinations. We further show that the column density of the clouds varies significantly across the field of view, with the centroid of most of the clouds shifted toward the Galactic plane, relative to the position of V404 Cyg, invalidating the assumption of uniform cloud column typically made in attempts to constrain dust properties from light echoes. We present a new XSPEC spectral dust scattering model that calculates the differential dust scattering cross section for a range of commonly used dust distributions and compositions and use it to jointly fit the entire set of Swift echo data.
    [Show full text]
  • Where Are the Hot Ion Lines in Classical T Tauri Stars Formed?
    Accretion, winds and jets: High-energy emission from young stellar objects Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades des Departments Physik der Universit¨at Hamburg vorgelegt von Hans Moritz G¨unther aus Hamburg Hamburg 2009 ii Gutachter der Dissertation: Prof. Dr. J. H. M. M. Schmitt Prof. Dr. E. Feigelson Gutachter der Disputation: Prof. Dr. P. H. Hauschildt Prof. Dr. G. Wiedemann Datum der Disputation: 13.03.2009 Vorsitzender des Pr¨ufungsausschusses: Dr. R. Baade Vorsitzender des Promotionsausschusses: Prof. Dr. R. Klanner Dekan der MIN Fakult¨at: Prof. Dr. A. Fr¨uhwald (bis 28.02.2009) Prof. Dr. H. Graener (ab 01.03.2009) iii Zusammenfassung Sterne entstehen durch Gravitationsinstabilit¨aten in molekularen Wolken. Wegen der Erhaltung des Drehimpulses geschieht der Kollaps nicht sph¨arisch, sondern das Material f¨allt zun¨achst auf eine Akkretionsscheibe zusammen. In dieser Doktorarbeit wird hochenergetische Strahlung von Sternen untersucht, die noch aktiv Material von ihrer Scheibe akkretieren, aber nicht mehr von einer Staub- und Gash¨ulle verdeckt sind. In dieser Phase nennt man Sterne der Spektraltypen A und B Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) Sterne, alle sp¨ateren Sterne heißen klassische T Tauri Sterne (CTTS); eigentlich werden beide Typen ¨uber spektroskopische Merkmale definiert, aber diese fallen mit den hier genannten Entwicklungsstadien zusammen. In dieser Arbeit werden CTTS und HAeBes mit hochaufl¨osender Spektroskopie im R¨ontgen- und UV-Bereich untersucht und Simulationen f¨ur diese Stadien gezeigt. F¨ur zwei Sterne werden R¨ontgenspektren reduziert und vorgestellt: Der CTTS V4046 Sgr wurde mit Chandra f¨ur 100 ks beobachtet. Die Lichtkurve dieser Beobachtung zeigt einen Flare und die Triplets der He Isosequenz (Si xiii, Ne ix und O vii) deuten auf hohe Dichten im emittierenden Plasma hin.
    [Show full text]
  • Stellar Evolution
    AccessScience from McGraw-Hill Education Page 1 of 19 www.accessscience.com Stellar evolution Contributed by: James B. Kaler Publication year: 2014 The large-scale, systematic, and irreversible changes over time of the structure and composition of a star. Types of stars Dozens of different types of stars populate the Milky Way Galaxy. The most common are main-sequence dwarfs like the Sun that fuse hydrogen into helium within their cores (the core of the Sun occupies about half its mass). Dwarfs run the full gamut of stellar masses, from perhaps as much as 200 solar masses (200 M,⊙) down to the minimum of 0.075 solar mass (beneath which the full proton-proton chain does not operate). They occupy the spectral sequence from class O (maximum effective temperature nearly 50,000 K or 90,000◦F, maximum luminosity 5 × 10,6 solar), through classes B, A, F, G, K, and M, to the new class L (2400 K or 3860◦F and under, typical luminosity below 10,−4 solar). Within the main sequence, they break into two broad groups, those under 1.3 solar masses (class F5), whose luminosities derive from the proton-proton chain, and higher-mass stars that are supported principally by the carbon cycle. Below the end of the main sequence (masses less than 0.075 M,⊙) lie the brown dwarfs that occupy half of class L and all of class T (the latter under 1400 K or 2060◦F). These shine both from gravitational energy and from fusion of their natural deuterium. Their low-mass limit is unknown.
    [Show full text]
  • The UV Perspective of Low-Mass Star Formation
    galaxies Review The UV Perspective of Low-Mass Star Formation P. Christian Schneider 1,* , H. Moritz Günther 2 and Kevin France 3 1 Hamburger Sternwarte, University of Hamburg, 21029 Hamburg, Germany 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research; Cambridge, MA 02109, USA; [email protected] 3 Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80203, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 16 January 2020; Accepted: 29 February 2020; Published: 21 March 2020 Abstract: The formation of low-mass (M? . 2 M ) stars in molecular clouds involves accretion disks and jets, which are of broad astrophysical interest. Accreting stars represent the closest examples of these phenomena. Star and planet formation are also intimately connected, setting the starting point for planetary systems like our own. The ultraviolet (UV) spectral range is particularly suited for studying star formation, because virtually all relevant processes radiate at temperatures associated with UV emission processes or have strong observational signatures in the UV range. In this review, we describe how UV observations provide unique diagnostics for the accretion process, the physical properties of the protoplanetary disk, and jets and outflows. Keywords: star formation; ultraviolet; low-mass stars 1. Introduction Stars form in molecular clouds. When these clouds fragment, localized cloud regions collapse into groups of protostars. Stars with final masses between 0.08 M and 2 M , broadly the progenitors of Sun-like stars, start as cores deeply embedded in a dusty envelope, where they can be seen only in the sub-mm and far-IR spectral windows (so-called class 0 sources).
    [Show full text]
  • GEORGE HERBIG and Early Stellar Evolution
    GEORGE HERBIG and Early Stellar Evolution Bo Reipurth Institute for Astronomy Special Publications No. 1 George Herbig in 1960 —————————————————————– GEORGE HERBIG and Early Stellar Evolution —————————————————————– Bo Reipurth Institute for Astronomy University of Hawaii at Manoa 640 North Aohoku Place Hilo, HI 96720 USA . Dedicated to Hannelore Herbig c 2016 by Bo Reipurth Version 1.0 – April 19, 2016 Cover Image: The HH 24 complex in the Lynds 1630 cloud in Orion was discov- ered by Herbig and Kuhi in 1963. This near-infrared HST image shows several collimated Herbig-Haro jets emanating from an embedded multiple system of T Tauri stars. Courtesy Space Telescope Science Institute. This book can be referenced as follows: Reipurth, B. 2016, http://ifa.hawaii.edu/SP1 i FOREWORD I first learned about George Herbig’s work when I was a teenager. I grew up in Denmark in the 1950s, a time when Europe was healing the wounds after the ravages of the Second World War. Already at the age of 7 I had fallen in love with astronomy, but information was very hard to come by in those days, so I scraped together what I could, mainly relying on the local library. At some point I was introduced to the magazine Sky and Telescope, and soon invested my pocket money in a subscription. Every month I would sit at our dining room table with a dictionary and work my way through the latest issue. In one issue I read about Herbig-Haro objects, and I was completely mesmerized that these objects could be signposts of the formation of stars, and I dreamt about some day being able to contribute to this field of study.
    [Show full text]
  • Stellar Properties of Embedded Protostars
    Stellar Properties of Embedded Protostars R. J. White University of Alabama in Huntsville T. P. Greene National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Ames Research Center G. W. Doppmann Gemini Observatory K. R. Covey University of Washington L. A. Hillenbrand California Institute of Technology Protostars are precursors to the nearly fully assembled T-Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be type stars undergoing quasi-static contraction towards the zero-age main sequence; they are in the process of acquiring the majority of their stellar mass. Although numerous young stars with spatially extended envelope-like structures appear to fit this description, their high extinction has inhibited observers from directly measuring their stellar and accretion properties and confirming that they are in fact in the main phase of mass accretion (i.e., true protostars). Recently, however, high dispersion spectrographs on large aperture telescopes have allowed observers to begin studying the stellar and accretion properties of a subset of these stars, commonly referred to as Class I stars. In this Chapter, we summarize the newly determined properties of Class I stars and compare them with observations of Class II stars, which are the more optically revealed T Tauri stars, to better understand the relative evolutionary state of the two classes. Class I stars have distributions of spectral types and stellar luminosities that are similar to those of Class II stars, suggesting similar masses and ages. The stellar luminosity and resulting age estimates, however, are especially uncertain given the difficulty in accounting for the large extinctions, scattered light emission and continuum excesses typical of Class I stars.
    [Show full text]
  • 3 Star and Planet Formation
    3 Star and planet formation Part I: Star formation Abstract: All galaxies with a significant mass fraction of molecular gas show continuous formation of new stars. To form stars out of molecular clouds the physical properties of the gas have to change dramatically. Star formation is therefore all about: Initiating the collapse (Jeans criterion, demagnetization by ambipolar diffusion, external triggering) Compression of the gas by self-gravity Losing angular momentum (magnetic braking and fragmentation) 3.1 Criteria for gravitational collapse The basic idea to cause a molecular cloud to collapse due to its own gravity is to just make it massive enough, but the details are quite tricky. We look first at the Jeans criterion that gives the order of magnitude mass necessary for gravitational collapse. Then we consider the influence of a magnetic field before we discuss mechanisms for triggering a collapse by external forces. Jeans criterion (Sir James Jeans, 1877–1946): Let us consider the Virial theorem 20EEkin pot It describes the (time-averaged) state of a stable, gravitationally bound (and ergodic) system. Collins (1978) wrote a wonderful book on the Virial theorem including its derivation and applications in astrophysics, which has also been made available online (http://ads.harvard.edu/books/1978vtsa.book/). The Virial theorem applies to a variety of astrophysical objects including self-gravitating gas clouds, stars, planetary systems, stars in galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. Basically it describes the equilibrium situation of a gas for which pressure and gravitational forces are in balance. Depending on the values of kinetic and potential energies the following behavior results: Astrobiology: 3 Star and planet formation S.V.
    [Show full text]