Explore the fascinating world of white dwarf stars in this comprehensive lecture from the "Neutron Stars and Black Holes" summer course. Delve into the quantum nature of these celestial objects, understanding their formation, structure, and ultimate fate. Learn about the groundbreaking work of scientists like Chandrasekhar and Fowler, and grasp key concepts such as the uncertainty principle, Fermi energy, and the Chandrasekhar limit. Examine the life cycles of stars, from red giants to supergiants, and discover how white dwarfs are born. Investigate the physics behind these compact objects, including relativistic effects and degenerate matter. Conclude with a discussion on the implications of white dwarf stars for our understanding of the universe and participate in a Q&A session to further expand your knowledge.
White Dwarf Stars: Formation, Structure, and Evolution - Lecture 2
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences via YouTube
Overview
Syllabus
AM
White Dwarf Stars Lecture - 02
Quantum Stars
What are the stars? and Why are they as they are? Condensed Stars
The strange companion of Sirius!
Are such super-dense stars doomed?
What will happen to the star when the nuclear reactor at its center fails?
Sir Ralph Howard Fowler 1889-1994
Quantum Physics
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
White Dwarfs are Quantum Stars
White Dwarfs are for ever!
Enter Chandra: 1928
Radiation Pressure
Hydrostatic Equilibrium
Classical Physics All momentum values are allowed.
Consider motion in one dimension. Let the electron be confined to a length L.
Pauli's exclusion principle allows us to put two fermions in a cell in phase space.
Fermi Momentum
Fermi Energy
Pressure of an ideal classical gas
Pressure of a Fermi gas at T=0 K
Chandrasekhar's Theory of White Dwarfs
Chandrasekhar's Theory of White Dwarfs 1930
Mass - Radius Relation for White Dwarfs S. Chandrasekhar, 1930
Stars of all mass will find their ultimate peace as Quantum Stars supported by the pressure of electrons
History is made
Relativistic Fermi Gas
Fermi Energy
Fermi Energy: Ultra relativistic particles
Relativistic White Dwarfs
A fully relativistic WD has no radius! But it has a unique mass!
Chandrasekhar Limit
White Dwarfs in the sky!
How does Nature make white dwarfs?
Deep inside the star
To burn or not to burn? That is the question
Ideal Gas Core
Fully Degenerate Core
Classical or Quantum?
The fate of the contracting core
Low Mass Stars
Gravo-Thermal Catastrophe
Red Giant Star
Contracting helium core
Helium Flash in the degenerate core
The Helium Bomb!
The Degenerate Carbon Core
Red Supergiant Star
A White Dwarfs is born
Diamonds in the sky!
The progenitors of white dwarfs
Diamonds are not for ever!
Chandrasekhar Limit
Aristotle 384 BC - 322 BC
The matter of which the heavens are made is imperishable, and thus not subject to generation or corruption
Sir Arthur Eddington, at the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in London in 1935.
The Violent Universe
Q&A
Taught by
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences
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