A foe is a unit of

energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...

equal to 10⁴⁴

joule The joule ( , or ; symbol: J) is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). In terms of SI base units, one joule corresponds to one kilogram- metre squared per second squared One joule is equal to the amount of work d ...

s or 10⁵¹

erg The erg is a unit of energy equal to 10−7joules (100Nano-, nJ). It is not an SI unit, instead originating from the centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS). Its name is derived from (), a Greek language, Greek word meaning 'work' or ' ...

s, used to express the large amount of energy released by a

supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...

. An acronym for " power of">Exponentiation.html" ;"title="en to the Exponentiation">power offifty-one ergs", the term was introduced by Gerald E. Brown of Stony Brook University in his work with Hans Bethe, because "it came up often enough in our work". Without mentioning the foe, Steven Weinberg proposed in 2006 "a new unit called the bethe" (B) with the same value, to "replace" it."Following the death of Hans Bethe last year, I have proposed a new unit called the bethe, where 1 B is 10⁵¹ ergs or 10⁴⁴ J. This would replace the unit of 10⁵¹ ergs, which is commonly used by those studying supernovae – a field in which Bethe worked. Ian Mills, president of the consultative committee on units of the International Committee for Weights and Measures, has concurred and agreed that the bethe can be used." This unit of measure is convenient because a supernova typically releases about one foe of observable energy in a very short period (which can be measured in seconds). In comparison, if the

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

's current luminosity is the same as its average luminosity over its lifetime, it would release 3.827 W × 3.1536 s/ yr × 10¹⁰ yr ≈ 1.2 foe. One

solar mass The solar mass () is a frequently used unit of mass in astronomy, equal to approximately . It is approximately equal to the mass of the Sun. It is often used to indicate the masses of other stars, as well as stellar clusters, nebulae, galaxie ...

has a rest mass energy of 1787 foe.

References

Units of energy Supernovae {{Astrophysics-stub

See also

References