Why does stellar main- sequence lifetime decrease with increasing stellar mass?
A)It doesn't; higher mass stars have more hydrogen available for fusion, and thus have longer lifetimes.
B)Higher outward pressure prevents the core hydrogen from being replenished by the star's outer layers.
C)Higher core temperatures cause fusion to proceed much more rapidly.
D)Strong stellar winds cause higher mass stars to lose mass quickly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Higher mass stars have much higher core temperatures, which significantly increases the rate of hydrogen fusion. This rapid fusion process means that despite having more fuel available, these stars consume their fuel much more quickly than lower mass stars, leading to shorter lifetimes on the main sequence.

Why Does Stellar Main- Sequence Lifetime Decrease with Increasing Stellar