Stars

• Classifying stars: HR diagram

• Luminosity, radius, and temperature
• “Vogt-Russell” theorem
• Main sequence
• Evolution on the HR diagram
 Classifying stars
• We now have two properties of stars that we
can measure:
– Luminosity
– Color/surface temperature

• Using these two characteristics has proved

extraordinarily effective in understanding
the properties of stars – the Hertzsprung-
Russell (HR) diagram
If we plot lots of stars on the HR
diagram, they fall into groups
These groups indicate types
of stars, or stages in the
evolution of stars
 Luminosity classes

• Class Ia,b : Supergiant

• Class II: Bright giant
• Class III: Giant
• Class IV: Sub-giant
• Class V: Dwarf

The Sun is a G2 V star

Luminosity versus radius and temperature

A B

R = 2 RSun R = RSun

T = TSun T = TSun
Which star is more luminous?
 Luminosity versus radius and temperature

A B

R = 2 RSun R = RSun

T = TSun T = TSun
• Each cm2 of each surface emits the same amount of
radiation.
• The larger stars emits more radiation because it has a
larger surface. It emits 4 times as much radiation.
Luminosity versus radius and temperature

A1 B

R = RSun R = RSun
T = TSun T = 2TSun
Which star is more luminous?

The hotter star is more luminous.

Luminosity varies as T4
(Stefan-Boltzmann Law)
 Luminosity Law

2 4
LA R T
= A A
2 4
LB R T B B
1 2

If star A is 2 times as hot as star B, and the same

radius, then it will be 24 = 16 times as luminous.
From a star's
luminosity and
temperature,
we can
calculate the
radius.
 Properties of Stars
• Stars have many different properties: mass,
luminosity, radius, chemical composition,
surface temperature, core temperature, core
density, …
• However, the entire history of how an
isolated star will evolve – meaning how the
properties of the star will change with time –
is determined by just two properties: mass
and chemical composition.
• This is the “Vogt-Russell” theorem.
 “Vogt-Russell” theorem for
spheres of water
• Spheres of water have several properties: mass,
volume, radius, surface area …
• We can make a “Vogt-Russell” theorem for balls
of water that says that all of the other properties
of a ball of water are determined by just the mass
and even write down equations, i.e.
volume = mass/(density of water).
• The basic idea is that there is only one way to
make a sphere of water with a given mass.
 “Vogt-Russell” theorem
• The idea of the “Vogt-Russell” theorem for stars
is that there is only one way to make a star with a
given mass and chemical composition – if we
start with a just formed protostar of a given mass
and chemical composition, we can calculate how
that star will evolve over its entire life.
• This is extremely useful because it greatly
simplifies the study of stars and is the basic
reason why the HR diagram is useful.
 HR
diagram
Main sequence is
when a star is
burning hydrogen in
its core.
The luminosity and
temperature of a
main-sequence star
are set by its mass.
More massive
means brighter and
hotter.
Mass-Luminosity relation on the
main sequence

3. 5
L
=
 
M
LΘ M Θ
 Mass-Lifetime relation
• The lifetime of a star (on the main sequence) is longer if
more fuel is available and shorter if that fuel is burned
more rapidly
• The available fuel is (roughly) proportional to the mass
of the star
• From the previous, we known that luminosity is much
higher for higher masses
• We conclude that higher mass star live shorter lives

3 .5 2 .5
t A M A LB M A M M
= = B
3 .5
= B
2 .5
t B M B LA M B M A M A
A ten solar mass star has about ten times the sun's
supply of nuclear energy. Its luminosity is 3000
times that of the sun. How does the lifetime of the
star compare with that of the sun?
A) 10 times as long
B) the same
C) 1/300 as long
D) 1/3000 as long

t A M A LB 10 1 1
= = =
t B M B LA 1 3000 300
 Mass-Lifetime relation
Mass/mass of Sun Lifetime (years)
60 400,000
10 30,000,000
3 600,000,000
1 10,000,000,000
0.3 200,000,000,000
0.1 3,000,000,000,000
 Choose the best match:
____stars have ___ than ___ stars.

A) Main-sequence : more mass : pre-main sequence

B) More massive : shorter lifetimes : less massive
C) More luminous : larger radii : less luminous
D) Holllywood : worse tans : Broadway

M M 1
t∝ ∝ 3.5 = 2.5
L M M
 Evolution of stars
• Stars change over their lifetimes (from
formation to death).

• We can track these changes via motion of

the star in the HR diagram.
HW diagram for people
• The Height-Weight diagram was for one person
who we followed over their entire life.
• How could we study the height-weight evolution
of people if we had to acquire all of the data from
people living right now (no questions about the
past)?

• We could fill in a single HW diagram using lots of

different people. We should see a similar path.
• We can also estimate how long people spend on
particular parts of the path by how many people we
find on each part of the path.
 Review Questions
• What tool do astronomers use to understand the
evolution of stars?
• What is the relation between luminosity, radius,
and temperature?
• What parameters determine the evolution of a
star?
• How does a star’s mass influence its lifetime?