What direct result of greater mass leads to the higher core temperatures required for extreme fusion?
Answer
Far stronger inward crush leading to much higher core pressure
A star's formation from more raw material means it possesses greater mass. This increased mass results in a significantly stronger gravitational pull attempting to collapse the star inward. This intensified inward crush translates directly into substantially higher core pressure. According to the physics of stellar interiors, increased core pressure is intrinsically linked to elevated core temperatures. It is these higher temperatures, enabled by the initial mass, that allow the star to unlock more powerful, temperature-sensitive fusion pathways, such as the CNO cycle, for energy generation.
#Videos
Why Would The Size Of A Star Affect Its Luminosity? - Physics Frontier
Related Questions
What fusion cycle dominates when core temperature surpasses 18 million Kelvin?What exponent approximates the scaling for luminosity (L) based on mass (M) for main sequence stars?How much brighter is a 10 M☉ star expected to be using the M^3.5 relation?What color light do stars exceeding 20,000 Kelvin primarily emit?What direct result of greater mass leads to the higher core temperatures required for extreme fusion?Why is the star Vega, at 2.1 times the Sun's mass, sometimes less dense overall than the Sun?How does the main-sequence lifespan of a star 20 times the Sun's mass compare to the Sun's 10 billion years?Which stars represent the majority of the total star count in the universe, despite their low brilliance?What is the primary hydrogen fusion reaction used by stars similar to our Sun?To what factor is the reaction rate of the CNO cycle fiercely sensitive?What opposing force balances the inward pull of gravity in a stable star?