Re: Article: "Sun is Mostly Iron, Not Hydrogen"

From: Louis Newstrom (newsnewstrom@home.com)
Date: Wed Jan 09 2002 - 05:44:29 MST


From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
>
> I'm not an astrophysicist :-), but it seems that if this claim holds
> true we have to change not just models of the formation of the solar
> system but also how stars work. I think Dr. Manuel better have some
> extraordinary evidence up his sleeve besides unusual xenon abundancies
> to convince people that an iron core wouldn't cause a cooling collapse.
>

I agree. Since the sun has not expanded into a red giant, it is not fusing
helium yet, let alone heavier elements. Also, iron is NOT fusable. (I
don't know if it is not fusable at all, or if it is just not fusable in the
largest theoretical star, which is about 200 solar masses.)

I also would like to know what "strange xenon" is, as opposed to "normal
xenon".

---
Louis Newstrom
louisnewstrom@home.com


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