What environmental factor can introduce a critical variable that changes a star's expected final outcome?
Answer
The presence of a close binary companion
The existence of a close binary companion introduces complexity via mass transfer, which can fundamentally rewrite a star's final chapter by altering its total mass.
#Videos
What Factors Determine A Star's Final Lifecycle? - Physics Frontier
Related Questions
What single characteristic overwhelmingly predetermines a star's final destiny?How does increased stellar mass affect core temperature and fusion rate?How is the relationship between a star's mass and its luminosity described?Approximately how long does a star like our Sun spend on the main sequence fusing hydrogen?What fate awaits stars comparable to or slightly more massive than the Sun (up to about eight solar masses)?What specific element's fusion consumes energy rather than releasing it, leading to the catastrophic collapse of massive stars?What prevents a white dwarf from collapsing further under gravity?Under which mass range does the remnant core typically result in the formation of a neutron star after a supernova explosion?What environmental factor can introduce a critical variable that changes a star's expected final outcome?What is the approximate upper limit for a white dwarf's mass before mass transfer could trigger a supernova collapse?