<h1>The problem is, the star would &quot;literally&quot; blow apart</h1>
<p>The problem is, modern stars tend to be way too small to even hold themselves together if the core collapses into a black hole.</p>
<p>For starters, a Thorne-Zytkow object (called &quot;hybrid stars&quot; by astronomy rookies) is basically in simple terms, just a red giant/red supergiant with a neutron star at its core, which is formed when a neutron star collides with a red supergiant, most likely occuring in a binary pair.</p>
<p>Quasi-stars/black-hole stars on the other hand have been theorized to have been somewhere between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-star#:%7E:text=Such%20a%20star%20would%20have%20to%20be%20at%20least%201%2C000%20solar%20masses%20(2.0%C3%971033%C2%A0kg)." rel="nofollow noreferrer"><span class="math-container">$10^3$</span></a> to <span class="math-container">$10^7$</span> <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/sources-black-hole-star#:%7E:text=a%20black%20hole%20star%20had%20up%20to%2010%20million%20solar%20masses%20of%20nearly%20pure%20hydrogen." rel="nofollow noreferrer">solar masses</a>. Meaning that a quasi-star would have had to be about as massive as thousand to 10 million solar masses. In comparison, the most massive star today is R136a1, with an estimated 250-300 solar masses.</p>
<p>The reason why a Thorne-Zytkow object cannot form a modern Quasi-star, is basically because, black holes are <em>frigging</em> efficient and converting mass to energy. According to <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/%7Ewilkinsd/docs/posters/BlackHolesPoster.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this paper</a> from Stanford University, black holes convert 40% of the mass that falls into them as energy. In comparison, nuclear fusion has a measly <a href="https://www.nsta.org/blog/focus-physics-how-e-mc2-helps-us-understand-nuclear-fission-and-fusion#:%7E:text=The%20mass%20converted%20to%20energy,reactors%2C%20bombs%2C%20or%20stars." rel="nofollow noreferrer">0.7% mass-to-energy conversion rate</a>.</p>
<p>This means that, even if the neutron star inside the TZO collapsed into a black hole, the star would last for a very <strong>SHORT</strong> time. Like, literally, you only have seconds or minutes left (if you are lucky) before the energy and jets from the black hole formed would <strong>RIP</strong> the star apart into pieces. It would be the equivalent of putting the <a href="https://www.space.com/tiny-black-hole-unicorn-closest-to-earth" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Unicorn</a> black hole, inside Arcturus/Betelguese (either case, both stars explode from energy produced).</p>
<p>Thus, my short answer is: <strong>&quot;No, a Thorne-Żytkow object cannot be the progenitor of a modern quasi-star&quot;</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-18T12:29:52.353Z
2023-06-18T12:29:52.353Z
Arcturus
<p>I was reading some Wikipedia articles about astronomy, and came across an interesting line:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The neutron star may also accrete sufficient material to collapse into a black hole.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p><strong>Now, here is my theory:</strong></p>
<p>If a massive supergiant star (<span class="math-container">$&gt;20 M_\odot$</span>) has a neutron star at its core, eventually the neutron star will pass the TOV limit, collapsing into a black hole. So if the new black hole is still in the star's core, and the outer envelope is not ejected, will a modern quasi-star be formed? If so, how long would it live for?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-24T18:57:53.927Z
@planetmaker I mean the neutron star is in the TZO. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorne%E2%80%93%C5%BBytkow_object
slowerthanstopped
<star><black-hole><neutron-star><red-supergiant><thorne-zytkow-object>
Can a Thorne-Żytkow object be the progenitor of a modern quasi-star?
slowerthanstopped
# Can a Thorne-Żytkow object be the progenitor of a modern quasi-star?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-24)

I was reading some Wikipedia articles about astronomy, and came across an interesting line:

> The neutron star may also accrete sufficient material to collapse into a black hole.

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**Now, here is my theory:**

If a massive supergiant star ($>20 M\_\odot$) has a neutron star at its core, eventually the neutron star will pass the TOV limit, collapsing into a black hole. So if the new black hole is still in the star's core, and the outer envelope is not ejected, will a modern quasi-star be formed? If so, how long would it live for?

**Tags:** star, black-hole, neutron-star, red-supergiant, thorne-zytkow-object

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @planetmaker I mean the neutron star is in the TZO. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorne%E2%80%93%C5%BBytkow_object  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-06-18. Score: 1

# The problem is, the star would "literally" blow apart

The problem is, modern stars tend to be way too small to even hold themselves together if the core collapses into a black hole.

For starters, a Thorne-Zytkow object (called "hybrid stars" by astronomy rookies) is basically in simple terms, just a red giant/red supergiant with a neutron star at its core, which is formed when a neutron star collides with a red supergiant, most likely occuring in a binary pair.

Quasi-stars/black-hole stars on the other hand have been theorized to have been somewhere between [$10^3$](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-star#:%7E:text=Such%20a%20star%20would%20have%20to%20be%20at%20least%201%2C000%20solar%20masses%20(2.0%C3%971033%C2%A0kg).) to $10^7$ [solar masses](https://sites.google.com/view/sources-black-hole-star#:%7E:text=a%20black%20hole%20star%20had%20up%20to%2010%20million%20solar%20masses%20of%20nearly%20pure%20hydrogen.). Meaning that a quasi-star would have had to be about as massive as thousand to 10 million solar masses. In comparison, the most massive star today is R136a1, with an estimated 250-300 solar masses.

The reason why a Thorne-Zytkow object cannot form a modern Quasi-star, is basically because, black holes are *frigging* efficient and converting mass to energy. According to [this paper](https://web.stanford.edu/%7Ewilkinsd/docs/posters/BlackHolesPoster.pdf) from Stanford University, black holes convert 40% of the mass that falls into them as energy. In comparison, nuclear fusion has a measly [0.7% mass-to-energy conversion rate](https://www.nsta.org/blog/focus-physics-how-e-mc2-helps-us-understand-nuclear-fission-and-fusion#:%7E:text=The%20mass%20converted%20to%20energy,reactors%2C%20bombs%2C%20or%20stars.).

This means that, even if the neutron star inside the TZO collapsed into a black hole, the star would last for a very **SHORT** time. Like, literally, you only have seconds or minutes left (if you are lucky) before the energy and jets from the black hole formed would **RIP** the star apart into pieces. It would be the equivalent of putting the [Unicorn](https://www.space.com/tiny-black-hole-unicorn-closest-to-earth) black hole, inside username_1/Betelguese (either case, both stars explode from energy produced).

Thus, my short answer is: **"No, a Thorne-Żytkow object cannot be the progenitor of a modern quasi-star"**.


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