To get a stellar implosion (leading to a supernova and then either a black hole or neutron star), the fuel at the center of the star gets used up, and the core cools rapidly. The pressure that has been holding up the outer layer drops, and the outer shells start falling toward the center. The gas has a long way to fall (the radius of a red giant can be as large as the distance from the Earth to the Sun) and builds up a tremendous speed. It all meets at the center, at which point most of the mass rebounds into a supernova explosion. About 20% of the mass gets compacted at the center and either forms a neutron star or (if the original star was really large) a black hole.
i kinda feel this way.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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2 comments:
You coming out tonight?
I love this post. Never before has the creation of a black hole been set out in such a straigtforward way. Thanks Mike. That post made my night. Geekery abounds.
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