Chapter10课件.ppt

Chapter 10 The formation of stars 10.1 Interstellar medium Fig. 10-1 The Horsehead nebula (星云). Dark nebula forms the shape of a ?horsehead? (right). Emission nebula is also seen behind the dark nebula. Nebulae: Higher density clouds of gas and dust. Emission nebula (H II regions): An excited cloud of relatively low-density gas. Hydrogen gas is ionized by ultraviolet radiation from a nearby hot star. It emits light (mostly red) when the ionized gas recapture electrons. Reflection nebula: Dust in a gas cloud reflecting light from other stars (Fig. 10-1). Dark nebula: Dark, thick clouds blocking light from other stars. Bok globules (博克球状体): Collapsing small dark clouds, possible star formation sites. Many of them contain infrared sources at centers. Tiny amounts of molecules (some complex, e.g., alcohol) are also found in nebulae; some are good emitters of radio waves. can be detected by radio telescopes Giant molecular clouds typically span over a few hundred pc, containing up to 0.5 million solar masses. High density (~106 particles cm-3 ) and low temperature (~10 K). They contain infrared sources and bright H II regions excited by young, hot stars. Cooler regions are sites of active stellar formation. 10.2 Birth of stars Gravitational force mutual attraction in the clouds contraction of gas clouds to form stars Thermal motions particles in clouds move around in random directions expansion of clouds Turbulence and rotational motions also resist contraction Most clouds would not contract by own gravity. Shock waves trigger fragments formation (Fig. 10-2), compressing some clouds to density high enough to form new stars. Shock waves may come from supernovae: exploding stars in the latest stage of stellar evolution. radiation pressure due to ignition of hot, young stars. collisions of molecular clouds. bulk motions of gas clouds in the spiral arms of our Milky Way Galaxy collisions of galaxies Fig. 10-2 An interstellar gas c