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To: sargon

The problem is that we haven’t actually observed population I stars. No pure Hydrogen + Helium stars have been found. We have found population II stars which are typically metal poor.

Which raises the question. If there aren’t any of them around, perhaps they are all gone because they were all large stars and no small ones.

If that’s the case, then it’s entirely possible that none of them would have planets, let alone habitable ones. Especially if we are talking upwards of 100 solar masses.


160 posted on 01/23/2011 7:16:27 PM PST by BenKenobi
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To: BenKenobi
If that’s the case, then it’s entirely possible that none of them would have planets, let alone habitable ones. Especially if we are talking upwards of 100 solar masses.

Don't stars with multiple solar masses of that magnitude end up as neutron stars, or even black holes?

I was educated with the notion that if a star exceeds x solar masses, it ends up as a neutron star, and if it exceeds y solar masses (y > x) it ends up as a black hole. I've forgotten the values of x and y. And if the star weighs < x solar masses, it ends up as a white dwarf? I'm not sure about that one, my memory is a little cloudy.

It's been a while since I studied astronomy at Georgia Tech. I took at least one class taught by David Finklestein, though, so I've had some good instructors...

181 posted on 01/23/2011 10:14:22 PM PST by sargon (I don't like the sound of these "boncentration bamps")
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