Explore the fascinating world of quantum stars in this comprehensive 2-hour lecture by Professor G Srinivasan. Delve into the physics of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and supernovae, examining concepts like quantum mechanics, degeneracy pressure, and relativistic effects. Learn about groundbreaking work by scientists such as Chandrasekhar, Landau, and Oppenheimer. Discover why there are only two types of cold stars in nature and understand the limits of stellar masses. Gain insights into the fate of massive stars and the conditions for stellar degeneracy. Perfect for those interested in astrophysics and the quantum nature of dense stellar objects.
Overview
Syllabus
Summer course 2018 - A Random walk in astro-physics
Quantum Stars Lecture - 10
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 1889-1944
Quantum Physics
Energy levels of a particle in a one-dimensional box
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
White Dwarfs are Quantum Stars
White Dwarfs are for ever!
Enter Chandra: 1928
Radiation Pressure
Hydrostatic Equilibrium
Gaseous Star & Quantum Star
Classical Physics: All momentum values are allowed.
Quantum Physics
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.
Diamonds in the sky!
History is made
Gravitational Collapse of massive white dwarfs
Relativistic Fermi Gas
Relativistic White Dwarfs
A fully relativistic WD has no radius! But it has a unique mass!
Mass - Radius Relation for White Dwarfs S. Chandrasekhar, 1934
Chandrasekhar Limit
Supernovae and Neutron Stars
Guest Stars
Supernovae and Cosmic Rays by W. Baade and F. Zwicky
Supernova Explosion
Between 1932 and 1937:
Lev Landau
Landau invents neutron stars in 1938
Neutronization of matter at high density
Dynamical instability
The maximum mass of neutron stars
Tolman, Oppenheimer, Volkoff equation
OV: Oppenheimer - Volkoff Equation of State
Oppenheimer and Volkoff, 1938
Limiting Mass for Neutron Stars
The fate of massive stars
If radiation pressure exceeds 9.2 percent of the total pressure then matter will never become degenerate no matter what the density is.
Condition for degeneracy
Radiation pressure and Degeneracy
Ideal gas versus relativistic degeneracy
Why are there only two classes of 'cold stars'?
Stability of Matter
HW: Harrison - Wheeler Equation of State OV: Oppenheimer - Volkoff Equation of State
There are only two types of cold stars in nature!
Sir Arthur Eddington, at the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in London in 1935.
Chandrasekhar Limit
Next Lecture: A Journey to the center of a Neutron Star
Q&A
Taught by
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences
Related Courses
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White Dwarf Stars: Formation, Structure, and Evolution - Lecture 2
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Maximum Mass of Neutron Stars - Lecture 8
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Formation of Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars - Stellar Evolution and Collapse
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The Origin of Stellar Energy by Professor G Srinivasan
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Supernovae and Neutron Stars - Lecture 3
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Neutron Stars and Black Holes - Lecture 1: Diffuse Stars
