Stellar Physics I
Dr L. Fletcher
10 lectures, starting 12th October 2005
| The aim of this ten-lecture level 3/4 course is to explain and understand the structure of main-sequence stars in terms of basic physical principles. Topics covered include (Part I) basic observations, observational correlations and order-of-magnitude estimates (Part II) simplified stellar models (including polytropic models) and (Part III) the derivation of the equations of stellar structure, and introduction of related concepts of radiative transfer, opacity and convection |
Books
Additional books to read if you can get hold of them (they are
currently out of print) are:
There are two recommended textbooks for this
course:
The Physics of Stars, 2nd Edition, A. C. Phillips (Wiley)
An Introduction to the Theory of Stellar Structure and Evolution, Dina Prialnik, (Cambridge University Press).
Astrophysics I - Stars, Bowers and Deeming (Jones and Bartlett)
Structure and Evolution of the Stars, Schwartzschild (Dover).
Course Summary
Here is a pdf of the summary slides I showed at the tutorial on 10/05/06, describing the things you should be able to derive, describe or calculate. They are roughly in the order in which they appear in the notes. Consider this as a checklist for examinable coursework.
Course Outline
Stellar Physics I will cover the following topics:
Stellar Observations: distances, luminosities, surface temperatures, masses and their relationships - HR / ML diagrams - stellar classes - range of values and requirements of energy source
Star Formation: Jeans' mass - protostar contraction time (Kelvin-Helmholtz) -
Stellar Structure: equations (hydrostatic, state and energy flow) of quasistatic structure - solutions for prescribed density and polytropic models - Lane Emden equation - central temperature
Stellar Luminosity: radiative and convective energy transport - photon diffusion time and luminosity - opacity and temperature gradient - KH lifetime and the need for internal energy source
Nuclear Processes and Nucleosynthesis: nuclear reaction rates and quantum Coulomb barrier penetration - reaction cycles for different masses
Lecture Notes
Below you will find pdf versions of the
slides I have shown during the lectures. You will receive the handouts
during the lectures themselves; however in the versions posted on the web
I have implemented corrections which have been brought to my attention . You should therefore look
at these to correct errors in the handouts.
Lecture 1 - Observable Quantities
Lecture 2 - Important timescales, and the
Virial Theorem
Lecture 3 - Estimates of pressure and
temperature, Jeans mass and stellar collapse
Lecture 4 - Minimum and Maximum Stellar
Mass, Lower limit to central pressure
Lecture 5 - Simplified stellar models, The Lane-Emden Equation and
its solutions for n=0,1
Lecture 6 - Energy Generation and Basics of Nuclear Fusion in Stars
Lecture 7 - Introduction to Radiative Transport
Lecture 8 - Pressure balance in Radiative
Equilibrium; Breakdown in Radiative Transport
Lecture 9 - Polytropic relationship for an
adiabatic gas and the onset of convection
Lecture 10 - Homology, comparison with observations
Question Sheets