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An Overview of Stellar Evolution

  • Chapter
Stellar Interiors

Part of the book series: Astronomy and Astrophysics Library ((AAL))

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Abstract

The structure and evolution of stars is the one part of modern astrophysics that can be described as, to a considerable extent, a solved problem. This means we can-

  • 1. write down a set of four differential equations (see the previous chapter or §7.1) that describe gradients of conditions inside a star,

  • 2. insert into these equations the necessary physics of nuclear reactions (Chap. 6), transport of energy by radiation, convection, and occasionally conduction (Chaps. 4 and 5), and the relationship among the thermodynamic variables T, ρ, and P, also called the equation of state (Chap. 3).

  • 3. We can choose reasonable boundary conditions (e.g., see §4.3),

  • 4. integrate the equations numerically (Chap. 7) to find out what stars should look like, and

  • 5. compare model stars with real ones.

“And now for something completely different.”

— Monty Python’s Flying Circus (Oct. 1969–Dec. 1974)

“I never know how much of what I say is true.”

— Bette Midler (1980)

#x201C;You’d look pretty simple from ten parsecs too.”

—Attributed to Fred Hoyle in response to a question from someone who was puzzled why we do not seem to understand so simple a thing as a star. (c. 1955)

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2.17 References and Suggested Readings

§2.1: Young Stellar Objects

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309-0440, USA

    Carl J. Hansen

  2. Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Steven D. Kawaler

  3. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

    Virginia Trimble

  4. Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92717, USA

    Virginia Trimble

Authors
  1. Carl J. Hansen
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  2. Steven D. Kawaler
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  3. Virginia Trimble
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Hansen, C.J., Kawaler, S.D., Trimble, V. (2004). An Overview of Stellar Evolution. In: Stellar Interiors. Astronomy and Astrophysics Library. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9110-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9110-2_2

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