HELP! - simple question!

Chris L Peterson wrote:
Well, yes, but then a star was never alive in the first place, so this
does very much depend on how "death" is used. Even in the case of a type
1a supernova, you are left with an active object in the same location as
the original pair of objects, and containing lots of the original
material. Death? I don't know. Anyway, it really just word games we are
playing here.

A star is commonly considered to be a fusor, isn't it? After the
supernova, it ceases to be a fusor. As a star, it dies. It's just
a lump of warm whatever after that, slowly cooling--just like a dead
human being.

I thought a Type Ia supernova commonly resulted in the complete
detonation of the progenitor star--I thought it was the Type II
supernovae that leaves a black hole, or neutron star, or whatever.
The Type Ia's partner might leave around some stuff, but I wouldn't
consider that to be part of the original star.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:24:14 +0000 (UTC), (Brian Tung)
wrote:

A star is commonly considered to be a fusor, isn't it? After the
supernova, it ceases to be a fusor. As a star, it dies. It's just
a lump of warm whatever after that, slowly cooling--just like a dead
human being.

Not an unreasonable definition of stellar death.

I thought a Type Ia supernova commonly resulted in the complete
detonation of the progenitor star--I thought it was the Type II
supernovae that leaves a black hole, or neutron star, or whatever.
The Type Ia's partner might leave around some stuff, but I wouldn't
consider that to be part of the original star.

I thought all supernovas leave one or two compact objects behind, but a
little research seems to suggest that type Ia events probably result in
the complete dispersal of the progenitor neutron star. I guess that
qualifies as "death" just about any way you look at it!

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

- he's thinking and looking things up - !
- next round pending -
- Tung the Robot -



Chris L Peterson wrote:

On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:24:14 +0000 (UTC), (Brian Tung)
wrote:

A star is commonly considered to be a fusor, isn't it? After the
supernova, it ceases to be a fusor. As a star, it dies. It's just
a lump of warm whatever after that, slowly cooling--just like a dead
human being.

Not an unreasonable definition of stellar death.

I thought a Type Ia supernova commonly resulted in the complete
detonation of the progenitor star--I thought it was the Type II
supernovae that leaves a black hole, or neutron star, or whatever.
The Type Ia's partner might leave around some stuff, but I wouldn't
consider that to be part of the original star.

I thought all supernovas leave one or two compact objects behind, but a
little research seems to suggest that type Ia events probably result in
the complete dispersal of the progenitor neutron star. I guess that
qualifies as "death" just about any way you look at it!

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com