" on

a got
Fg
-

-starB

enter mass
a

~ ↑

Star A

Figure 1: Figure for the first problem.

AST 221 Problem Set 4.5: Due Oct. 22nd, 12pm.

You are allowed/encouraged to work together with other students, but the write-up must be
INDEPENDENT. This is open-booked. We will not o!er help sessions. A total of 15 points.
Submit a single pdf file on the portal.

1. Binary stars A and B are equal in mass and are in an eccentric orbit. In Fig. 1, panels I) through
III) are wrong. The questions are:
1) Panel I) is wrong, because (provide onetobrief sentence)
the and B the enter easy
PanelI wrongastheuntegmas isaccenting
Moreover ,
is with respect positions o stars A and B .
since A are
o the same mas ,

2) Panel II) is wrong, because

This panel is also the center does not coincide with and having
accelerating
is in this B
wrong as
o mass
reference frame and the position of
the center of mass A

equal masses

3) Panel III) is wrong, because

Newton's universal law of gravitation stars of the should share
elliptical orbit to balance their
According to Kepler's Laws and ,
2 same mass an

gravitational force and centripetal acceleration The orbit of

.
the stars is
wrong in
panel "I
4) Plot the correct one in panel IV), marking out positions for the centre of mass, star A (at any
time of your choosing), and star B.
5) Assume the orbit is viewed edge-on. Sketch in panel V) how the radial velocities of the two stars
look like (no need for any numbers).
6) (BONUS 0.5 pt) Let the star A and B both be 1 solar mass, the orbital period be 1 year, the
eccentricity be 0.5. Calculate the magnitudes of the maximum velocities (in unit of [km/s]) for an
edge-on orbit.
1 .

6) Mp Mr My
:
=
; P = /
ya
=

365x24x60x60 = 31536000

Maystem
:

Ma +
MB =
CMO

:cemimajor a
period
p an law

M
a
:

=
-
-

3006743xx2x1989 o

: 1 .
883995207X10"M

We know from Kepler's I law that the stars are

faster
when closer together
. This find by using
they are we can

the equation :

"max :
MMs

· 1 -
0 5
.

= 65021 .
35 M/s =
65km/s
2. The current Sun is said to be on the main-sequence of its life. It shines by fusing hydrogen into
helium. Mean density in the solar centre is ω → 150g/cm3 , and mean temperature is T → 1.5↑107 K.
1) The ignition temperature for hydrogen fusion is → 107 K, and the nuclear fusion rate (energy
generation per gram of mass, per second) rises sharply with temperature. How does the Sun avoid
a run-away nuclear disaster (where a slightly higher generation leads to a hotter temperature, which
then leads to an even higher rate, like that occurred in Chernobyl), or a reactor shut-down (the
reverse of the above scenario)?
heat nuclear the inward pull
The Sun is at
hydrostatic equilibrium where the
pressure
caused due to massive generated from fusion and

gravity balanced . If the the other reacts to restore it. The Sun also has negative feedback regulation if the temp ,
of
is one of forces change ,
where core .
rises

outward pressure The expanded cools down which lowers the

generation which increases the the .
core
there is increased
energy
which expands core
.
fusion rate

In conclusion the sensitive to these changes

not sensitive to changes while Sun .
man-made reactors are
is
,

3) Is the Solar Centre degenerate? Estimate the mean spacing of electrons there, and compare it
against their de Broglie wavelengths. Assume the core is made up of pure hydrogen.

3) In a later stage in its life, the Sun will instead fuse helium into carbon. Burning helium will
require a higher temperature than that of hydrogen. If hydrogen nuclei can overcome Coulomb
barrier and fuse at 107 K, how high do helium nuclei need for fusion?

4) As the Sun fuses helium into carbon, how much shorter will the helium fusing stage be, compared
to the hydrogen fusing stage? Assume the Sun puts out the same luminosity, and the same mass
fraction is burnt in both stages. FYI, nuclei masses in unit of the ’atomic mass’ (defined by carbon)
is, 1 H = 1.00783, 4 He = 4 ↑ 1.00065, 12 C = 12.

5) (Bonus 0.5pt) Brown-dwarfs are low mass stars that ’failed’. They are so dense that they reach
electron degeneracy in the core, even at T = 1.5 ↑ 107 K. Assume a core density that is → 100 times
higher than the mean density (as the case for the Sun), estimate the highest mass of a brown-dwarf.
3 . 2) p =
150g/cm3 =
1 . 5 x 105 kg/m3 Duration reg by .
He when
compared to I can be

1 67x10-2 kg. obtained through ratios

my
= .

De =T
= 0

n
m
:

of takes
only 21 % of the time taken for the
hydrogen jusing stage .

x
:
3 .
5) Brown dwarfs are sustained I degeneracy
by pressure
.

x10 e /m3
of H
# nuclei = 8 98 .

If their mass
density is 100 times
,
then

mean
spacing ,
d =

3 P
: 1.5x10 kg > 3

Chandrasekar limit on mass

applies for white dwarfs which

·
es2o35928x1031 ↑
are massive . There
stars is a H-burning limit for

brown
dwarfs which are low mass stars which

= 2 .
23x10"m is around 0 08
.
M

de Broglie :
I

Xje

=T

·x10 38x10 5
To
*
x 1 .
x 1 .

94x10-33 kg
1
m/s
=
.

* :

666x34341X
Since de Broglie A d ,
the Run is not

strongly degenerate yet

.

& charge he e
I nuclei
3 .
3) Colomb barrier

z
z 1
for I Jusion
= = >
-
,

2, He
=
2 = 2 >
-
for Jusion

e
So the He
temp .
reg .

For jusion is 4 times

higher than temp .

reg .

For H .
Jusion
To 10 K for H
1 5 x
.

fusion
To 6 x10K He
for jusion

3 .
4) E = me

En =
(4x1 00783 .
-

4x1 .

00005) x 931 5 .
MeV

=
26 .
8 MeV /reaction

EHe (3x4x1 00065-12)

=
.
X 931 5
.
MeV

MeV
=
7 27
.

/reaction
3. The Earth is slowly cooling down. The measured heat-flux at the surface is → 0.1W/m2 , where
W is watts, and m is meter.
1) What would the black-body temperature of the Earth be, if the above is the only source of
energy?

2) Assuming the Earth is a big egg, and that a hot egg takes → 5minutes to cool down, estimate
the cooling time for the Earth (answer in unit of years).

3) Mean density of the Earth is → 5g/cm3 . If the Earth is supported against gravity by ideal gas
pressure with a mean molecular weight of µ = 28 (for silicon), estimate its central temperature.

4) The real central temperature of the Earth is → 5000K. Based on this and your above calculation,
what do you conclude on the nature of pressure support inside the Earth?

5) (Bonus 0.5pt) Most of the heat content of the Earth is in the core with a temperature Tc and a
specific heat capacity cp (heat energy per gram per Kelvin). The Earth is losing heat on the outside
as a blackbody with temperature Te! . Assume the ratio ω = Te! /Tc remains constant throughout
cooling. Derive how Tc changes with time.
3 .

D Acc to
.

Styan-Boltzmann Law
, 3 .

4) Central temp. of the earth should be around 5000K.

There is a
discrepancy with assumptions on the

P = GT4 question . The central temp from the

previous
T
= 367x10-8 previous question does not
really make .
sense

At
very high temp .
I
degeneracy pressure would

x10-8 make the earth implode

=
36 42K .

Black
body temp of the Earth 36 42K
-
: .
.

3
2
.

Fegg =
5 min =
300s

Meanth =
5.
97 x 1024 Rg
Megg
= 0 .
05
kg

Ratio mass earth to

of of egg :

Meath =
T

tearth = 1 19
. X 1026 x 300

= 3 . 58x1028s
=
1 14 X10"
.

you

3 .
3] Acc to the
.

equation of hydrostatic equilibrium

,

=
Acc ,
to ideal
gas law
,

P =
nkBT

=
T

We know p = 5 g/cm3 =
5000kg/m3

To estimate central ,
p re s u re

PrpgR
=
5000 x 9 81x6
. .
37/X106
=
3 . 125 x 10"Pa

:
T

= O 6012x103 =
2 .
97x10-19 particles

want
we
we use
No
particles so

=
Now T

= 3 . 125x10"
97x10-19x 23
-

2 .

1 38 x 10
.

=
7 .
62x10524
*
This doesn't seem
right