Stopping a star from going supernova

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothetical scenario of preventing a star from going supernova, specifically through the use of surrounding massive bodies to counteract the gravitational collapse of the star. The scope includes theoretical considerations of gravitational forces and stellar dynamics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes that surrounding a star with supermassive bodies could prevent it from collapsing and going supernova, assuming the net gravitational force from these bodies matches the star's gravitational collapse.
  • Another participant points out that a uniform spherical shell of mass would have no effect on the gravitational field within, suggesting that the proposed method would not work.
  • A different perspective is introduced, suggesting that if the star were orbiting a single massive object like a black hole, it might experience tidal forces that could lead to its destruction rather than preventing collapse.
  • A later reply acknowledges the previous point and expresses a sense of disappointment that the initial proposal would not be effective.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effectiveness of surrounding massive bodies to prevent a supernova, with some arguing against the feasibility of the proposal based on gravitational principles. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the initial proposal's validity.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include assumptions about the uniformity of the surrounding mass and the nature of gravitational interactions, as well as the lack of exploration into other potential factors influencing a star's fate.

gtriafylos
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hi guys, my first post...

i was wondering if there is anyway of stopping a star from going supernova...
my proposal is as follows:

if you where to have a star about to go supernova, (as a result of lack of fusion) in the middle of space, and then you had super massive bodies surrounding the star equally in all directions, would that be able to stop the star from collapsing in on itself, and in turn stopping it from going supernova? also assuming that the net gravitational force of these external bodies attracting the star match the gravitational force that is making the star collapse in on itself.

thanks!
 
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Hi gtriafylos, welcome to PF.

A uniform spherical shell of mass will have exactly zero effect on the gravitational field within.

Have a look here for more details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_theorem
 
If it were orbiting a single massive object like a black hole, it might get torn apart by tidal forces instead of collapsing. (How did it become a star in the first place though...?)
 
Ahh ok i see, thanks Bandersnatch. it would have been pretty cool if it worked though!
 

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