Coverage of Topics and Study Notes:

Chapter 21 covers nova explosions, supernovae, and nucleosynthesis.

I will always refer to supernova types as carbon detonation or core collapse rather than Type I and Type II in class or on an exam.

From the point of view of physics and astrophysics, the theory of nucleosynthesis is a major triumph of explaining the origin of all of the elements other than H and He. Within its context, it explains where the stuff we're made came from. However, we'll only cover an overview of nucleosynthesis, and not all of the details in the text.

I will cover the material in Chapter 21 in somewhat different order than the text does.  Basically, I'll follow the all the aspects of a high mass star's death in a core collapse or Type II supernova before discussing carbon detonation or Type I.

Don't feel you have to study Section 21.4 in detail: Use the class discussion as a guide to the main points of nucleosynthesis.  Use this section to clarify things you don't understand from lecture.

Section 21.5 The Cycle of Stellar Evolution is a nice summary of the last several chapters.

Review Questions:

Review and Discussion: You should be able to give brief answers to the questions about nucleosynthesis, numbers 12-19, even though we are not covering many details in section 12.4, The Formation of the Elements.

Note on Question 10:  Most astronomers quote supernova (SN) rates between once per 30 years and once per 100 years for both types.  It's not clear to me that we should be able to observe a supernova in our galaxy once per century, because so much of it is obscured by dust.

Conceptual Self-Test: True or False/Multiple Choice: Number 6 is True if you include the processes in supernovae as part of stellar nucleosynthesis.  Number 10 is poorly posed, and you can skip it.

Number 16:  See note on Review and Discussion Number 10.

Skip numbers 17-20 because they are poor multiple choice questions that don't really account for all the facts, or are too tricky.

Skip the Problems.