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jml53
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- Does the release of light transiting from the core of a star to its surface contribute to brilliance of a supernova? Q
I was talking with my 14 year old son and he asked me a great question. He said he was thinking about the fact that it takes 100,000-1,000,000 years for energy released in the core of a star to reach the surface and be released as a photon. The journey is a random walk of microsteps of emission and reabsorbtion.
With that in mind, he asked if all of those in transit photons are released as a star goes supernova, and if so, how much does that contribute to the brightness of the supernova itself? I have a B.S. in Applied Physics (from 30 years ago) and still follow developments closely. I'd never heard anyone raise or address this question. I was pretty impressed by his insight. Does anyone know if this has been studied and if there is anything to his question?
With that in mind, he asked if all of those in transit photons are released as a star goes supernova, and if so, how much does that contribute to the brightness of the supernova itself? I have a B.S. in Applied Physics (from 30 years ago) and still follow developments closely. I'd never heard anyone raise or address this question. I was pretty impressed by his insight. Does anyone know if this has been studied and if there is anything to his question?