Structure and Evolution of Stars
Michaelmas Term, 24 Lectures – Professor Max Pettini
Basic Concepts and Observational Properties: Course overview; Mass, Temperature, Luminosity Gravity, composition, Age; Photometry and stellar colours; Spectra and spectral lines;
Distance: Parallax, apparent and absolute magnitudes; Masses from binary stars;
Temperature: Black-body radiation, Wien’s Law; The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram and spectral classification
Stellar Structure: Timescales; dynamical, thermal nuclear. Energy generation, thermonuclear reactions. Energy transport; opacity, radiative and convective transport. Equations of stellar structure. Hydrostatic equilibrium, Virial Theorem, Pressure. Stellar properties as a function of mass, homology. Degeneracy: Chandrasekar limit.
Stellar Evolution and the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram: Pre-main sequence evolution, Hayashi and Henyey tracks. Post-main sequence evolution: massive stars, supernovae, neutron stars, black holes. Post-main sequence evolution: low-mass stars, planetary nebulae, white dwarfs, Type Ia supernovae. Initial mass function
Observational Tests and Constraints: The mass-luminosity relationship. Stellar abundances. The most massive stars and stellar winds. Supernovae
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