Thermodynamic Cloud Collapse & Me vs Gravity & Grok

Thermodynamic Cloud Collapse & Me vs Gravity & Grok

Since I began working on this website, I have been using AI to fetch equations, data, and history.  In general, I don’t bother discussing things much with AI, because typically AI relies on authority – number of journal articles, citations, simulations, status indicators, and other non-scientific bases to form its opinions.  Me, on the other hand, I take the Richard Feynman philosophy that “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts“.  If AI believes you are straying from its narrative, it tries to “correct” you and actually let you know that what you are asking for is wrong.  It finds something it agrees with, and then, tries to interject that it was at least somewhat right all along.   It

Globular Clusters: The Chaotic Square Dance of the Stars

Globular Clusters: The Chaotic Square Dance of the Stars

Globular clusters (GCs) are fascinating cosmic entities that challenge our understanding of chaos and order in the universe. These ancient collections of stars, some over 13 billion years old, exhibit a dynamic system that thrives amidst unpredictability. As we explore the intricate dance of stars within these clusters, we uncover the secrets of their longevity and stability. From the mesmerizing beauty of M5 and M13 to the complex gravitational interactions that govern their behavior, join us on a journey through the chaotic square dance of the stars and discover the mysteries that lie within these stellar marvels.

The Anatomy of a Stellar Nursery

The Anatomy of a Stellar Nursery

Introducing the Rosette Nebula / Stellar Nursery When I first started to image stellar nurseries, I really didn’t know anything about them.  I was told that stars are being born there – that is pretty awesome, but I was curious what was it about these light generating molecular clouds (MCs) that made them prolific star builders.   Sure, stars are also created in turbulent dark molecular clouds, but stellar nurseries really churn out the stars at a much higher level – often creating whole open clusters of stars.   Many of the stellar nurseries get very large and can even be mapped from their Halpha light signal in other galaxies.   Ok, so my interest was piqued – I had to figure out

Fueling up a New Star – Gravity vs Angular Momentum

Fueling up a New Star – Gravity vs Angular Momentum

In order to grow, a nucleated (condensed), cold star core must accumulate hydrogen as future mass and fuel before igniting to fusion and becoming a full fledged shining star. But there is a problem in the way. Just as the sun cannot accumulate planets via gravity, without some mechanism to shed angular momentum, hydrogen will just orbit the baby star and not accumulate upon it. Viscous drag both dissipates angular momentum and allows hydrogen molecules to accumulate by spiraling down to the star. Unlike a planetary orbit, in a spiral gravity, angular momentum, and viscous drag (friction) are not orthogonal to one another, allowing friction to dissipate momentum as the gravitational fall increases it. Upon arrival at the star, there remains a lot of angular momentum that still need dissipating. Compressed, hot hydrogen forms a metallic core on the star where it creates an electromagnetic magneto – a sort of electric motor. The magneto converts angular momentum into linear momentum that squirts out as jets from the poles. Both mechanisms allow hydrogen to accumulate without spinning the young protostar to death. The jets also advertise to us that star formation is going on and results in beautiful images.