What is the single most important factor determining a star’s future path and lifetime?
Answer
The final mass locked into the core during formation
The evolutionary destiny, lifespan, and characteristics of any star are almost entirely dictated by one parameter established during its birth: its final mass. The total amount of material accreted into the core before hydrostatic equilibrium is achieved sets the maximum temperature and pressure the core can sustain, thereby governing the rate at which nuclear fuel will be consumed. Low-mass stars, being frugal with their fuel, can survive for trillions of years. Conversely, the most massive stars burn their fuel with extraordinary intensity due to extremely hot cores, resulting in extremely short main sequence lifetimes, sometimes only lasting a few million years.
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