BRAINCAKEEvolution of a Massive Star
A massive star has a mass greater than about 10 solar masses. Its strong gravity gives it a very hot core, so it fuses hydrogen quickly and has a short main sequence lifetime.
When the hydrogen in its core runs out, the core contracts and heats up while the outer layers expand enormously. The star becomes a red supergiant.
Because the core is so massive, gravity can compress it to much higher temperatures than in a low-mass star. It fuses helium, then carbon, neon, oxygen and silicon in turn, building up heavier and heavier elements. The core develops layers like an onion, with the heaviest elements at the centre.
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More in Astrophysics and Cosmology
- The Solar System and Galaxies
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- Evolution of a Low-Mass Star
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- Energy Levels in Atoms
- Emission and Absorption Line Spectra
All 24 lessons in Astrophysics and Cosmology · All OCR A-level Physics topics