How is the lifespan of the silicon-burning core stage described relative to the hydrogen-burning stage?
Answer
It lasts for hours.
The silicon-burning stage is extremely short, lasting only hours, demonstrating the increasing urgency as fusion progresses from the longest stage (hydrogen burning, millions of years) to the shortest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What initial mass generally defines a star as a very high mass star?How is the lifespan of a very high mass star measured compared to smaller stars like the Sun?What is the element at which the thermonuclear fusion chain definitively halts in the core of a massive star?What process characterizes the core collapse when electrons are forced into protons?What ultimately provides the momentary outward pressure that halts the initial rapid collapse into a neutron density core?What phenomenon is observed when the outward explosion results from the material slamming into the newly formed dense core?What is the result if the remnant core mass remains between approximately 1.4 and 3 solar masses after the explosion?How is the lifespan of the silicon-burning core stage described relative to the hydrogen-burning stage?What mechanism provides the necessary outward force to counteract gravity during a star's main sequence life?What occurs if the remnant core mass exceeds the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) limit?