Structure and evolution of single stars : an introduction / James MacDonald.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

MacDonald, James, 1952- author.

Contributor:

Morgan & Claypool Publishers, publisher.

Institute of Physics (Great Britain), publisher.

Series:

IOP (Series). Release 2.

IOP concise physics

[IOP release 2]

IOP concise physics, 2053-2571

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stars--Structure.

Stars.

Stars--Evolution.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (various pagings) : illustrations (some color).

Distribution:

Bristol [England] : IOP Publishing, [2015]

Place of Publication:

San Rafael [California] : Morgan & Claypool Publishers, [2015]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.

text file

Biography/History:

James MacDonald received his PhD in astronomy from Cambridge University in 1979. Following postdoctoral positions at the universities of Sussex and Illinois and Arizona State University, he joined the University of Delaware in 1985 where he is now a Professor of Physics and Astronomy. His scientific expertise is the study of the structure and evolution of stars. Recent work has focused on low-mass main sequence stars and brown dwarfs. He has published more than 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Summary:

Structure and Evolution of Single Stars: An introduction is intended for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduates with a background in physics. Following a brief overview of the background observational material, the basic equations describing the structure and evolution of single stars are derived. The relevant physical processes, which include the equation of state, opacity, nuclear reactions and neutrino losses are then reviewed. Subsequent chapters describe the evolution of low-mass stars from formation to the final white dwarf phase. The final chapter deals with the evolution of massive stars.

Contents:

Preface

1. Observational background

1.1. Distances

1.2. Stellar brightness and luminosity

1.3. Colors

1.4. Spectroscopy

1.5. Color-magnitude diagrams

1.6. Stellar masses

1.7. The mass-luminosity relation for main sequence stars

1.8. The mass-radius relation for main sequence stars

2. The equations of stellar structure : mass conservation and hydrostatic equilibrium

2.1. Introduction

2.2. The mass conservation equation

2.3. The hydrostatic equilibrium equation for a spherical star

2.4. The dynamical time scale

2.5. The central temperature of the Sun

2.6. The central temperatures of main sequence stars

2.7. Radiation pressure

3. Energy considerations, the source of the Sun's energy, and energy transport

3.1. Introduction

3.2. The virial theorem

3.3. The virial theorem for stars in hydrostatic equilibrium

3.4. The conservation of energy equation for a star in hydrostatic equilibrium

3.5. Stars in thermal equilibrium

3.6. Energy transport

3.7. The equation of radiative transfer

3.8. Optical depth and effective temperature

3.9. Validity of the diffusion approximation

4. Convective energy transport

4.1. Introduction

4.2. The Schwarzschild criterion for convective instability

4.3. Including convective energy transport in stellar models

5. The equations of stellar evolution and how to solve them

5.1. Introduction

5.2. The equations of stellar structure

5.3. The physical significance of the Eddington luminosity

5.4. Equations for composition changes

5.5. Solving the equations of stellar evolution

5.6. The Newton-Raphson method

5.7. Sets of non-linear equations

6. Physics of gas and radiation

6.1. Introduction

6.2. The ideal gas equation of state

6.3. The radiation equation of state

6.4. The equation of state for a mixture of ideal gas and radiation

6.5. The Eddington standard model of stellar structure

7. Ionization and recombination

7.1. Introduction

7.2. The Boltzmann excitation equation

7.3. The Saha ionization equation

7.4. A difficulty and its resolution

7.5. Ionization of hydrogen

7.6. The effect of ionization on the adiabatic gradient

7.7. The effect of ionization on the specific heat

7.8. Pressure ionization

7.9. Free energy approach to ionization

7.10. A crude model for inclusion of pressure ionization in a thermodynamically consistent way

8. The degenerate electron gas

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Complete electron degeneracy

8.3. Limiting forms

8.4. The contribution from nuclei at zero temperature

8.5. Transition from non-degeneracy to degeneracy

8.6. Effects of degeneracy on the adiabatic gradient and the first adiabatic exponent

9. Polytropes and the Chandrasekhar mass

9.1. Introduction

9.2. The Lane-Emden equation

9.3. Application to white dwarf stars

10. Opacity

10.1. Introduction

10.2. The Rosseland mean opacity

10.3. Opacity mechanisms

10.4. Electron scattering opacity

10.5. Free-free opacity

10.6. Bound-free opacity

10.7. Bound-bound opacity

10.8. The Rosseland mean opacity for solar composition material

11. Nuclear reactions

11.1. Introduction

11.2. Occurrence of thermonuclear reactions

11.3. Cross sections and nuclear reaction rates

11.4. The cross section

11.5. Evaluation of the reaction rate

11.6. Major nuclear burning stages in stars : H burning

11.7. Energy generation in the pp-chains and the CNO-cycles

11.8. Major nuclear burning stages in stars : He burning

11.9. Advanced nuclear burning phases

12. Neutrino energy loss processes

12.1. Pair annihilation neutrino process (e+ + e- [right arrow] [nu] + [nu][superscript bar])

12.2. Plasma neutrino process ([gramma]plasmon [right arrow] [nu] + [nu][superscript bar])

12.3. Photo-neutrino process ([gamma] + e [right arrow] e + [nu] + [nu][superscript bar])

12.4. Bremsstrahlung neutrino process

13. Homology relations

13.1. Introduction

13.2. Homology of zero age main sequence stars

13.3. Sensitivity of stellar structure to nuclear reaction rate

13.4. Sensitivity of stellar properties to composition

13.5. Stars with convective cores

13.6. Stars with convective envelopes

14. Hydrogen main sequence stars

14.1. Masses of main sequence stars

14.2. Lifetimes of main sequence stars

14.3. Convection in main sequence stars

14.4. Variation of surface properties with mass

14.5. Variation of central properties with mass

14.6. The theoretical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

15. Helium main sequence stars

15.1. Why consider helium main sequence stars?

15.2. Homology analysis of helium zero age main sequence stars

15.3. Convection in helium main sequence stars

15.4. Variation of surface properties with mass

15.5. Variation of central properties with mass

15.6. The theoretical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

16. The Hayashi line

16.1. Introduction

16.2. The Hayashi phase

17. Star formation

17.1. Introduction

17.2. The Jeans mass

17.3. Fragmentation

18. Evolution on the main sequence and beyond

18.1. Introduction

18.2. Change in luminosity on the main sequence

18.3. Evolution of the hydrogen profile

18.4. Evolution after hydrogen exhaustion in the core

18.5. The Hertzsprung gap

19. Evolution on the red giant branch

19.1. Introduction

19.2. Change in luminosity on the red giant branch

19.3. The globular cluster luminosity function bump

19.4. The helium core flash

19.5. Stability considerations

20. Evolution from red giant to white dwarf

20.1. Introduction

20.2. The horizontal branch

20.3. The asymptotic giant branch

20.4. The formation of planetary nebulae

20.5. The cooling of white dwarfs

20.6. The luminosity function of white dwarfs

20.7. Masses of white dwarf stars : observational material

21. Evolution of massive stars

21.1. Introduction

21.2. Composition changes in the core

21.3. Evolution after the end of core helium burning

21.4. Evolution of stars more massive than 8 M[circled dot operator].

Notes:

"Version: 20151101"--Title page verso.

"A Morgan & Claypool publication as part of IOP Concise Physics"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on January 10, 2016).

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9781681741055

9781681742335

OCLC:

935995526

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.