NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1223132
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Sep
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-9120
EISSN: N/A
Brown Dwarfs and the Minimum Mass of Stars
Pinochet, Jorge
Physics Education, v54 n5 Article 055021 Sep 2019
Stars form from large clouds of gas and dust that contract under their own gravity. The birth of a star occurs when a fusion reaction of hydrogen into helium is ignited in its core. The key variable that determines the formation of a star is mass. If the mass of the contracting cloud is below a certain minimum value, instead of a star, a substelar object--known as a "brown dwarf"--will form. How much mass is required for a star to form? This article aims to answer this question by means of a simple heuristic argument. The found value is ~0.016 solar masses, which is of the same order of magnitude as the accepted value, ~0.08 solar masses. This article may be useful as pedagogical material in an introductory undergraduate astronomy course.
IOP Publishing. 190 North Independence Mall West Suite 601, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 215-627-0880; Fax: 215-627-0879; e-mail: ped@ioppublishing.org; Web site: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0031-9120
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A