AST201H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14.1-14.2: Deuterium, Solar Core, Nuclear Fission

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST201H1
• Professor: Bryan Gaensler

Document Summary

Mid 19th century: knew not fire nor chemical. Generates energy by slowly contracting in size, gas --> inwards, convert potential energy to thermal. Only works for 25 million years --> the sun is older. Sun born from collapsing cloud of gas, contraction of cloud released gravitational potential energy - raised interior temperatures and pressure. Continued until core became hot enough to sustain fusion. Between outward push of internal pressure and inward pull of gravity. Between rate at which fusion releases energy and rate at which sun"s surface radiates energy into space. Many of atoms are ionized because of high temperature. Made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, sunspots, mass. Entire sun does not rotate at the same rate. Solar wind (stream of charged particles continually blown outwards) shapes magnetospheres of planets and blocks back material that forms plasma tails of comets, corona (low = density gas, outer layer)