AST 307 · Introductory Astronomy
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Fall 2003
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Topics
Chapter 21 Nov. 3, 5
- Why can't a red giant stay in thermal equilibrium once its core
is made of iron nuclei?
- Describe what happens to the core of a red giant when it tries to
continue nuclear fusion beyond iron, and what we see as a result.
- Describe how a white dwarf can be destroyed in a supernova explosion.
- How were the carbon and oxygen nuclei in your body made?
How about the iron in your blood?
- Why couldn't the carbon in your body have been made in a star with
a mass like the Sun's?
Chapter 22
- What is a neutron star? Describe its properties and how it is
formed.
- What is a pulsar, and how do we explain its rapid flashing?
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