Formation of Stars

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that by viewing the gas that surrounds stars as a dynamic atmosphere, undergoing cycles of materials similar to those that go on in the Earth's own protective gases, astronomers are understanding more and more about the processes involved in the formation of stars. The paper deals with the questions of how the supernova of massive stars affect the formation of stars in the future, why star formation seems to occur in relative bursts, and how long the Milky Way will continue to produce stars.

From the Paper:

"Beyond applying the atmospheric model to intergalactic gas, astronomers have also been studying more carefully exactly what components make up the gas and at what temperature these components exist. About 90% of the constituents of intergalactic atmosphere are various forms of hydrogen, with close to 10% being helium, and everything else, from lithium to uranium -- the whole spectrum of the periodic chart -- making up less than 0.1%. The majority of the hydrogen is present as neutral hydrogen, termed H I by astronomers. This form of hydrogen gas is identified by the spectral frequency of the light that it emits, namely 1,420 megahertz. Although scattered throughout the galaxy, the majority of H I is located around the galactic midplane, and forms a gaseous disk about 300 parsecs thick (Reynolds, 2002, p. 40)."

More papers on Formation of Stars:

• Term Paper # 120722 : "Life Cycle of the Stars"
• Essay # 56449 : "Star Formation"
• Book Review # 23142 : "Stars in Their Courses"

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