Astronomy 162 - Stars, Galaxies, & The Universe

How do stars generate energy in their cores, and once made, how is that energy transported to the surface where it can be radiated away as Luminosity? This lecture revisits nuclear fusion and the Kelvin-Helmholz Mechanism, and discusses the 3 ways energy can be transported in stars: Radiation, Convection, and Conduction. This will lead us to the concept of Thermal Equilibrium in stars, which is the last main piece of stellar physics we need before we can address the question of how stars are formed and evolve in the rest of this Unit. Recorded 2006 January 23 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.