Astrophysics: Decoding the Stars

ISBN-13: 9781119623557 / Angielski / Twarda / 2023 / 328 str.

Judith Ann Irwin

Spis treści

Preface xiAcknowledgements xiiiIntroduction xvI. 1 The Simple Physical Star xviiI. 2 The Dominance of Gravity for Stars xviiiI. 3 The Numerical and Analytical Star xxiiI. 4 The Theoretical and Observational Star xxiiiProblems xxviChapter 1: The Closest Star 11.1 The Sun - First among Equals 21.2 The Solar Atmosphere 41.2.1 Physical Overview 41.2.2 The Photosphere 81.2.3 The Chromosphere 101.2.4 The Transition Region 121.2.5 The Corona 151.2.6 Energy Source for Heating the Solar Atmosphere 171.3 The Solar Interior 181.3.1 The Standard Solar Model (SSM) 181.3.2 Solar Rotation 211.4 The Magnetic Sun 23Problems 27Chapter 2: The Gaseous and Radiative Star - The Basics 292.1 The Gaseous Star 292.1.1 The Ideal Gas 292.1.2 Abundances and Metallicity 312.1.3 The Maxwell- Boltzmann Velocity Distribution and Gas Temperature 332.1.4 The Mean Molecular Weight 342.1.5 Fractional Ionization 352.1.6 Pressure of a Partially Ionized Ideal Gas 382.1.7 Degrees of Freedom, Adiabatic Index and Specific Heats 382.1.8 Adiabatic and Isothermal Gases 412.1.9 Gas Motions and the Doppler Shift 432.2 The Radiative Star 442.3 Stellar Opacities 46Problems 49Chapter 3: The Observed Star - Finding the Essential Parameters 533.1 Temperature and Spectral Type 543.2 Luminosity and Luminosity Class 593.3 Chemical Composition 623.4 Mass 643.4.1 Visual Binaries 673.4.2 Spectroscopic Binaries 683.5 Radius 713.5.1 Eclipsing Binaries 723.6 Rotation and Winds 75Problems 78Chapter 4: The Shining Star - Interiors 814.1 Energy Transport in Stars 824.2 Radiative Transport 824.2.1 The Rosseland Mean Opacity 834.2.2 Analytical Forms for the Mean Opacities 854.2.3 The Equation of Radiative Transport 884.3 Convective Transport 904.3.1 Condition for Convective Instability 904.3.2 Mixing Length Theory 954.3.3 Real Convection 994.4 Conductive Energy Transport in Dense Regions 103Problems 105Chapter 5: The Burning Star - Cores 1095.1 Classical and Quantum Approaches 1105.2 Energy Generation Rate 1125.3 Energy Release and Binding Energy 1135.4 Main Sequence Reactions 1165.4.1 The PP-chain 1175.4.2 The CNO Cycle 1195.5 Reactions after the Main Sequence 1215.5.1 The Triple-alpha Process - Helium Burning 1225.5.2 Additional and Higher Temperature Reactions 123Problems 125Chapter 6: The Modelled Star 1276.1 The Equations of Stellar Structure 1276.1.1 Conservation of Mass 1286.1.2 Hydrostatic Equilibrium 1296.1.3 Energy Conservation 1296.1.4 Energy Transport 1306.1.5 Constitutive Relations 1306.1.6 Boundary Conditions 1316.2 Solving the Equations of Stellar Structure 1326.2.1 Numerical Solutions 1326.2.2 Conceptual and Analytical Approaches 1336.3 The Vogt-Russell Theorem, Mass-Luminosity Relation and Mass-Radius Relation 137Problems 146Chapter 7: The Quasistatic Star - Energies, Timescales and Limits 1497.1 The Virial Theorem 1507.2 Timescales 1547.2.1 The Dynamical Timescale 1547.2.2 The Thermal (Kelvin-Helmholtz) Timescale 1557.2.3 The Nuclear Timescale 1567.3 Stability 1577.3.1 Stability against Perturbations 1587.3.2 Secular Evolution of the Sun along the Main Sequence 1587.4 The Minimum and Maximum Stable Stars 1597.4.1 The Lowest-Mass Stars 1597.4.2 The Highest-Mass Stars 1607.5 A Main Sequence Primer 164Problems 166Chapter 8: The Forming and Ageing Star - Evolution to and from the Main Sequence 1698.1 The Forming Star 1698.1.1 The Jeans Criterion and Free-Fall Timescale 1708.1.2 Real Star Formation 1728.1.3 Protostars 1738.1.4 From Protostar to the Zams 1778.1.5 Number, Mass and Luminosity Functions 1828.2 The Ageing Star 1858.2.1 Post-Main-Sequence Evolution of a 1 M Star 1868.2.2 Post-Main-Sequence Evolution of Stars of Different Mass 1938.2.3 Connecting Theory with Observations 200Problems 206Chapter 9: The Variable Star - Pulsation 2099.1 Pulsation 2119.2 Asteroseismology 2159.3 Radial Pulsation 2229.4 The Drivers - The Kappa Mechanism 2259.5 Period-Luminosity Relations 227Problems 232Chapter 10: The Dying Star and Its Remnant 23310.1 Planetary Nebulae 23410.2 White Dwarfs - Stellar Cinders 23610.2.1 The Mass-Radius Relation for White Dwarfs 23710.2.2 The Cooling Curve - A Cosmic Clock 24210.3 Supernovae 24410.3.1 Core-Collapse Supernovae 24810.3.2 Thermonuclear Supernovae 25110.4 The Densest Remnants - Neutron Stars and Pulsars 25410.4.1 The Mass-Radius Relation for Neutron Stars 25610.4.2 Stellar Beacons - Pulsars 25710.4.3 The PP Relation and Characteristic Age 26410.5 The Ultimate Stellar Remnants - Black Holes 26610.5.1 Observational Evidence 269Problems 272Chapter 11: A Stellar Invitational 275Appendix A: Physical and Astronomical Data 279Appendix B: The Solar Atmosphere 283Appendix C: The Standard Solar Model 287Appendix D: Taylor Expansions for the Center of a Star 293Appendix E: Chandrasekhar's Argument for a Declining Pressure Distribution in a Star 295Appendix F: Stellar Data 297Bibliography 301Index 323

O autorze

Professor Judith Irwin teaches undergraduate and graduate physics, astro-physics, and astronomy in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen's University, Canada. Her research focuses on gaseous halos of spiral galaxies.