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Date May 2011 Marks available 3 Reference code 11M.3.HL.TZ2.3
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone Time zone 2
Command term Suggest Question number 3 Adapted from N/A

Question

This question is about the evolution of stars.

State what is meant by the

(i) Chandrasekhar limit.

(ii) Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit.

[2]
a.

Suggest how your answers in (a) can be used to predict the fate of a main sequence star.

[3]
b.

Markscheme

(i) sets upper limit on mass of white dwarf;
(ii) sets upper limit on mass of neutron star;

a.

(if in the supernova phase) the mass blown leaves behind a mass of 1.4MSun / less than the Chandrasekhar limit;
the star will evolve to a white dwarf;
mass greater than about 1.4MSun, but less than the O–V limit, will evolve (because of the O–V limit) into a neutron star;

b.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.

Syllabus sections

Option D: Astrophysics » Option D: Astrophysics (Core topics) » D.2 – Stellar characteristics and stellar evolution
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