Assignment 8 - Due 4/30/2002
Put your name on your paper! Please answer in complete sentences! Please staple or paper clip your
work together!
Read the article entitled "The future of the universe" and answer the following questions:1. At the beginning of the degnerate era, there will be no normal stars left, only
stellar remnants. Which remnants could, in the very distant future, merge together to
form a normal star?2. What is a WIMP? Have we proved that WIMPs exist, or are they a theoretical particle?
3. Do protons live forever? If not, what happens to them?
4. Write a paragraph (at least 6 sentences), explaining what happens to most planets during the
degenerate era. There are at least three important effects that happen, so explain each one carefully.