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Representative lifetimes of stars as a function of their masses The change in size with time of a Sun-like star Artist's depiction of the life cycle of a Sun-like star, starting as a main-sequence star at lower left then expanding through the subgiant and giant phases, until its outer envelope is expelled to form a planetary nebula at upper right Chart of stellar evolution
The internal structure of a main sequence star depends upon the mass of the star. In stars with masses of 0.3–1.5 solar masses (M ☉), including the Sun, hydrogen-to-helium fusion occurs primarily via proton–proton chains, which do not establish a steep temperature gradient. Thus, radiation dominates in the inner portion of solar mass stars.
The Kelvin–Helmholtz mechanism is an astronomical process that occurs when the surface of a star or a planet cools. The cooling causes the internal pressure to drop, and the star or planet shrinks as a result. This compression, in turn, heats the core of the star/planet.
where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the star, R is the radius of the star, and L is the star's luminosity. As an example, the Sun 's thermal time scale is approximately 15.7 million years.
The study authors said that their observations show the dynamic actions that can take place within other planetary systems, even after the host star dies. In about 5 billion years, our sun is ...
Massive stars have a minimum mass of 5–10 M ☉. These stars undergo carbon fusion, with their lives ending in a core-collapse supernova explosion. [2] [dubious – discuss] Black holes created as a result of a stellar collapse are termed stellar-mass black holes. The combination of the radius and the mass of a star determines the surface ...
After the sun celebrates its 11 billionth birthday, scientists believe it will continue to expand to the point where it is 166 times bigger than it is now.
The sun loses mass due to the solar wind at a very small rate, (2–3) × 10 −14 solar masses per year. [2] The solar wind carries trace amounts of the nuclei of heavy elements fused in the core of the sun, revealing the inner workings of the sun while also carrying information about the solar magnetic field. [3]