Briefly explain how mass transferred from one star to another in ...

[ts19998]

Briefly explain how mass transferred from one star to another in a binary system flows into a rapidly rotating whirlpool called an accretion disk.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

The expansion of a star to giant or supergiant size _____, and so the stars move toward the upper right in the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram.
 
  A) contracts the star drastically
  B) cools the star's outer layers
  C) dims the star
  D) makes the star less luminous

[lkoler]

Answer to Question 1

Mass transferred from one star to another in a binary must conserve its angular momentum. Thus it must flow into a rapidly rotating whirlpool called an accretion disk around the second star. The gas in the disk grows hot due to friction and tidal forces and eventually falls onto the second star. If that second star, the one receiving the matter lost from its companion, is a compact object like a white dwarf, the gas in the accretion disk can become very compressed. The gas temperature can exceed a million K, producing X-rays. In addition, the matter accumulating on the white dwarf can eventually cause a violent explosion called a nova.

Answer to Question 2

B

[ts19998]

Thanks

[lkoler]

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