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Past Events
Physics at the End of Stellar Evolution
| Speaker: | Prof. Albert Zijlstra |
| Affiliation: | Hung Hing Ying Distinguished Visiting Professor in Science and Technology, Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong |
| Date: | June 10, 2019 (Monday) |
| Time: | 2:30 p.m. |
| Venue: | Room 522, 5/F, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building, HKU |
Abstract
Stars like the Sun end their lives by mass loss. During the late stages of their evolution, they develop an extreme wind which removes the entire envelope within 105 years or less. This phase is called the superwind; the physics which drives it is very poorly understood. The ejecta become visible as a planetary nebula, while the star ceases nuclear burning and enters the white dwarf cooling track. The talk will discuss the driving processes of the mass loss, the evolution of the star and nebula after the mass loss ends, and the effect of close binary interaction.
Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the seminar.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.