The gravitational pull of an isolated globular cluster is rather weak- a single supernova explosion can blow all the interstellar gas out of a globular cluster. How might this fact be related to observations indicating that stars ceased to form in globular clusters long ago? How might it be related to the fact that globular clusters are deficient in elements heavier that hydrogen and helium?
2007-03-07 19:24:42 · 2 answers · asked by aznbabyicecube 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
If there still were massive-star formation in those clusters, there would be supernovae and hence the clusters would be blown away. This proves that there is no important star-formation going on right now... and since heavy elements are formed by late star-forming activity, globular clusters are deficient in them. This comes from the fact that at the beginning of the Universe there were no metals and few heavier elements than H, He (Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis), so the first generations of stars (like in globular clusters) are poor in heavy elements. Then stars make heavier elements and the interstellar medium gets richer and richer in them.
2007-03-07 21:07:43 · answer #1 · answered by The Xav identity 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hint 1:
Stellar is a term related to a star, so wouldn't it take interstellar gas to form one?
hint 2:
Could it be because supernova explosions only affect heavier gases?
2007-03-07 19:50:22 · answer #2 · answered by netthiefx 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋