A Quasar Model Based on Relaxation Oscillations in Supermassive Stars

摘要

The work described in this paper constitutes a return to the early point of view of Hoyle and Fowler that supermassive stars can meet the energy requirements in radio sources, specifically in the quasars. General relativity leads to dynamic instability in nonrotating massive stars, but the result is relaxation oscillations energized by hydrogen-burning rather than catastrophic collapse, at least for masses not exceeding 1 million solar masses. It is noted that the introduction of rotation raises this limit by several orders of magnitude and that a forthcoming paper will treat this matter. It is emphasized that the exotic forms of energy emission observed in the quasars can serve to damp the relaxation oscillations in such a way that stable pulsations result. It is thus suggested that quasars consist of pulsating supermassive stars, energized by nuclear reactions, with radio and optical emissions from extended surrounding regions which the star excites with ultraviolet radiation and relativistic particles. With the exhaustion of nuclear energy, gravitational energy may become available, and the evolution of a quasar into an extended radio source becomes possible. (Author)