Variational Principles for Stellar Structure
Astrophysics
2009-10-28 v9 Statistical Mechanics
Abstract
The four equations of stellar structure are reformulated as two alternate pairs of variational principles. Different thermodynamic representations lead to the same hydromechanical equations, but the thermal equations require, not the entropy, but the temperature as the thermal field variable. Our treatment emphasizes the hydrostatic energy and the entropy production rate of luminosity produced and transported. The conceptual and calculational advantages of integral over differential formulations of stellar structure are discussed along with the difficulties in describing stellar chemical evolution by variational principles.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9610099,
title = {Variational Principles for Stellar Structure},
author = {Dallas C. Kennedy and Sidney A. Bludman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9610099},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
28 pages, LaTeX, requires AASTeX, 1 PostScript figure, revisions: erratum; accepted by Astrophysical Journal