Astronomy: Star Clusters Overview

Study Notes

Star Clusters

Star clusters are collections of stars that formed together from the same molecular cloud at the same time.
Two main types include open clusters and globular clusters.

Colour-Magnitude Diagram (CMD)

For star clusters, apparent magnitude (m(V)) correlates closely with absolute magnitude (M(V)) as all stars are at a similar distance.
Colour, such as B-V, is indicative of a star's temperature.
CMDs resemble Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagrams, facilitating the analysis of stellar properties.

Open Clusters

Typically contain around 1,000 stars.
Not gravitationally bound and will eventually disperse over time.
Found in the spiral arms of galaxies.
Comprised mainly of young, hot, blue main sequence stars.

Globular Clusters

Generally consist of about 100,000 stars.
Gravitationally bound systems, preserving their integrity over time.
Located in the Galactic halo.
Made up of older, cooler, red stars.

Chemical Evolution of Stars

The first stars originated from primordial material formed during the Big Bang, primarily hydrogen and helium.
Stellar nucleosynthesis through fusion creates heavier elements.
Supernovae and planetary nebulae return these elements to the interstellar medium.
This enriched material serves as the foundation for subsequent stellar generations, increasing the abundance of heavy elements or "metals" over time.
The chemical composition of stars can be analyzed using their spectra to track this evolution.

Stellar Populations

Stellar populations are categorized into two main groups:
- Population I Stars:
  - Young, typically aged between 10 million to 1 billion years.
  - Metal-rich, having over 1% of their mass as metals.
  - Ongoing or recent star formation is common, often associated with open clusters.
- Population II Stars:
  - Ancient, around 10 billion years old.
  - Metal-poor, containing approximately 0.1% of their mass in metals.
  - No recent star formation, often found in globular clusters.

Description

Explore the fascinating world of star clusters in this quiz. Learn about the differences between open and globular clusters, their characteristics, and how Colour-Magnitude Diagrams help in understanding stellar properties. Test your knowledge of these celestial formations and their chemical evolution.