Project 11: - Hydrogen Star

Summary

Unlike in Chapter 5, this project aims at finding a real mass density distribution of a hydrogen star of given mass. For that purpose an equilibrium condition for the gravitational and pressure-induced forces acting on a mass element is utilised. Using the integral form of Gauss’s law and the equation of state, we establish an integro-differential equation describing the mass density distribution. To numerically solve the integro-differential equation, we adapt the Adams–Bashforth method and implement a linear extrapolation based on known data points. This approach involves modelling the star as a gas under pressure using an exponential form for the equation of state, which helps in avoiding gravitational collapse. The equation of state is derived based on density functional theory data. We also discuss the constraints of this model and the significance of the parameters within it. The chapter concludes by suggesting potential numerical experiments to examine the influence of these parameters and their physical interpretation. This analysis aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of stellar structure and the behaviour of mass density distribution within stars.