Stellar Evolution Crossword Puzzle #2 - Massive Stars
Across
- 3. Ripples in spacetime caused by accelerating massive objects like merging neutron stars.
- 4. High-energy radiation often emitted by neutron stars and black hole accretion disks.
- 5. The leftover structure after a supernova explosion, which can be a neutron star or black hole.
- 6. A massive explosion that occurs when a high-mass star reaches the end of its life cycle.
- 9. A key element fused in the late stages of a high-mass star’s life before iron forms.
- 12. A neutron star with an extremely strong magnetic field, capable of releasing powerful bursts of energy.
- 16. The force that prevents a star from collapsing under gravity, arising from quantum mechanics.
- 17. The heaviest element that can be fused in a star’s core before it collapses.
- 18. The event that triggers a supernova when a massive star’s core runs out of fusion fuel.
- 19. The process by which lighter elements combine to form heavier ones, releasing energy in stars.
Down
- 1. Extremely energetic electromagnetic waves released during neutron star mergers or supernovae.
- 2. The process by which new atomic nuclei are formed in stars and during supernovae.
- 6. The powerful energy burst that propagates outward during a supernova explosion.
- 7. The incredibly dense remnant left behind after a massive star collapses in a supernova.
- 8. The observatory that first detected gravitational waves from neutron star mergers.
- 10. A rapidly spinning neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation.
- 11. The quantum mechanical effect that prevents electrons or neutrons from being squeezed indefinitely.
- 13. A swirling structure of gas and dust surrounding a black hole or neutron star.
- 14. A heavy element formed in neutron star mergers, explaining its cosmic origins.
- 15. Scientists at this university helped confirm that neutron star mergers produce heavy elements like gold.