Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Decide whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense (or is clearly false). Explain clearly; not all these have definitive answers, so your explanation is more important than your chosen answer. The white dwarf at the center of the Helix Nebula has a mass three times the mass of our Sun.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The statement is false; a white dwarf cannot exceed 1.4 solar masses.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Properties of a White Dwarf

White dwarfs are remnants of stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel. The typical mass of a white dwarf is about 0.6 to 1.4 times the mass of the Sun. Chandrasekhar Limit is a critical threshold, approximately 1.4 solar masses, beyond which a white dwarf cannot remain stable and would collapse into a neutron star or black hole.
02

Analyzing the Given Statement

The statement claims that the white dwarf at the center of the Helix Nebula has a mass three times that of our Sun. This suggested mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar Limit, making it unstable as a white dwarf.
03

Conclusion from Scientific Principles

Since a stable white dwarf cannot exceed the Chandrasekhar Limit of approximately 1.4 solar masses, the statement that a white dwarf could exist with three solar masses contradicts accepted physical laws.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Chandrasekhar Limit
Understanding the Chandrasekhar Limit is essential in astrophysics to determine the fate of medium-sized stars after they exhaust their nuclear fuel. Imagine a white dwarf—a compact star, extremely dense, no longer undergoing nuclear fusion reactions. This is what remains after a star similar to our Sun sheds its outer layers during the later stages of stellar evolution.

The Chandrasekhar Limit, named after Indian-American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, is approximately equal to 1.4 times the mass of the Sun (1.4 solar masses). This threshold represents the maximum mass a white dwarf can have while maintaining stability. If a white dwarf's mass exceeds this limit, it will not remain a white dwarf for long. Instead, the gravitational forces will overpower the pressure from electron degeneracy, which is the force that traditionally supports a white dwarf.
  • When a white dwarf surpasses this limit, it collapses under its own gravity.
  • This collapse might lead to the creation of a neutron star or, if the mass is high enough, a black hole.
This concept is crucial when analyzing objects such as the white dwarf in the Helix Nebula. Any mass beyond this threshold would indicate forces in play that are inconsistent with known physics.
stellar evolution
Every star undergoes a long, marvelous journey called stellar evolution. Stars are born, live, and die in cycles spanning millions or even billions of years. The life cycle of a star, like our Sun, ultimately leads to the formation of a white dwarf. But how does this transformation occur?

Stars, including the Sun, spend the majority of their lives in the main sequence phase, where they fuse hydrogen into helium at their cores. This energy production creates an outward pressure balancing the inward force of gravity. Over time, stars run out of hydrogen fuel. For solar-type stars:
  • Once the hydrogen is depleted, the core contracts starting to fuse helium.
  • This process swells the star into a red giant.
  • Eventually, the outer layers are expelled as planetary nebulae, leaving behind the dense core—a white dwarf.
Understanding this progression helps us make sense of objects like the white dwarf in the Helix Nebula. Such dwarfs are the remnants of what were once shining, burning stars, now concluding their evolutionary path.
mass of the Sun
The mass of the Sun is a standard unit of measurement in astronomy, known as a solar mass. It helps astronomers describe the mass of other stars and celestial objects in relation to our Sun. The Sun itself is about 332,946 times the mass of Earth. Consider how immense this is!

When discussing white dwarfs or any other stellar objects, astronomers frequently use the Sun's mass as a comparison. For instance:
  • A white dwarf typically ranges from 0.6 to 1.4 solar masses.
  • Exceeding values like three times the solar mass, as claimed in certain statements, hint at inaccuracies. Such statements can violate known astrophysical principles, as was the case with the theorized white dwarf at the center of the Helix Nebula.
Using the solar mass as a measuring unit is invaluable as it offers clarity and standardization, allowing scientists to convey enormous stellar masses in more understandable terms across their research and analyses.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Unanswered Questions. You have seen in this chapter that current theoretical models make numerous predictions about the nature of black holes but leave many questions unanswered. Briefly describe one important but unanswered question related to black holes. If you think it will be possible to answer this question in the future, describe how we could find an answer, being as specific as possible about the evidence needed. If you think the question will never be answered, explain why you think it is impossible to answer.

Gamma-Ray Bursts. Go to the website for a mission (such as Swift or Fermi) studying gamma-ray bursts and find the latest information about these bursts. Write a one- to two-page essay on recent discoveries and how they may shed light on the origin of gamma-ray bursts.

How do we know that pulsars are neutron stars? Are all neutron stars also pulsars? Explain.

Be sure to show all calculations clearly and state your final answers in complete sentences. Schwarzschild Radii. Calculate the Schwarzschild radius (in kilometers) for each of the following. a. \(10^{8} M_{\text {Sun }}\) black hole in the center of a quasar b. \(5 M_{\text {Sun }}\) black hole that formed in the supernova of a massive star c. \(A\) mini-black hole with the mass of the Moon d. A mini-black hole formed when a superadvanced civilization decides to punish you (unfairly) by squeezing you until you become so small that you disappear inside your own event horizon

Why can emission of gravitational waves lead to mergers of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes? What can result from such mergers? How and when was a black hole merger first detected?

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free