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PH 12c - Lecture 7.1

This document summarizes the properties of white dwarf stars and how they are stabilized by electron degeneracy pressure. It describes how white dwarfs exist in the lower left corner of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram due to their small size and low luminosity. The document then derives the pressure of a degenerate Fermi gas of electrons in white dwarfs and shows that this pressure can balance gravitational collapse for masses up to approximately 1.4 solar masses, above which the star will further collapse into a neutron star.

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Richard Zhu
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38 views

PH 12c - Lecture 7.1

This document summarizes the properties of white dwarf stars and how they are stabilized by electron degeneracy pressure. It describes how white dwarfs exist in the lower left corner of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram due to their small size and low luminosity. The document then derives the pressure of a degenerate Fermi gas of electrons in white dwarfs and shows that this pressure can balance gravitational collapse for masses up to approximately 1.4 solar masses, above which the star will further collapse into a neutron star.

Uploaded by

Richard Zhu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ph 12c Lecture 7.

1
May 12th, 2015

Contents
1 White Dwarf Stars as Fermi Gas

White Dwarf Stars as Fermi Gas

Wiens law; max T = constant. Absolute luminosity Labs = 4R2 J, J = T 4 . Hertzsprung-Russell


diagram. Demonstrates how the ln L for stars varies inversely as max . White dwarfs are on the lower
left corner of that plot.
MW D Msun 2 1033 g
RW D 2 109 cm
Rsun 7 1010 cm
hW D i = 6 104 g/cm3
Note: core 107 g/cm3 . Models of WD give core temperature of 107 K giviing a 800eV. Lets
construct a white dwarf assuming uniform density.
Star is stabilized by gravitational contraction versus pressure. Therefore (ergo/3 dots):
P dV = dE


3 M 2G
3GM 2
2
P (4R )dR = d
=
dR
5 R
R
3 GM 2
P =
5 4R4
Where does this come from? Consider pressure of ideal gas at = 800 eV.
P =

N
MW D /mFe
dyne
=
= 2.6 1017
2
V
4/3R
cm2

but

3 GM 2
21 dyne
=
1.3

10
5 4R2
cm2
Something else must supply pressure quantum gas.Consider gas of ionized e 1 e for each bound
proton.
M
Ne =
= 6 1056
2mp
P =

Then
hne i =

Ne
= 2 1028 /cm3
V
1

This gives EF = 30000 eV, and EF >> , so this is a degenerate Fermi gas. In such a density core
EF 1 MeV, we have a fairly relativistic Fermi gas and these electrons prevent stellar collapse. What
U
. When I squeeze a Fermi gas,
is the pressure caused by the electrons? We need U because P = V
,N
the entropy doesnt change much because its held in the number of states, which is fixed since every
state has 1 e . We need a relativistic form of U .
Recall

Ee2

2
U=
8
p2e c2

but
=
+
dnT = (L/~)dpe .

m2e c4 .

U =
with pF =

EN T 4n2T dnT

But quantum states still satisfy pe = ~k0 , ke = nT /L, nT = Lpe /~ and




~
n
L max

nmax

= (3 n)

1/3

L
~

3 Z

pF

(p2e c2 + m2e c4 )1/2 p2e dpe

~ since nmax = (3N/)1/3 and L3 = V .

Let x = pe /me c, dx = dpe /me c,



U=

V
2 ~3

me c (me c)

xmax

(1 + x2 )1/2 x2 dx

For highly relativistic xmax >> 1 we have (1 + x2 )1/2 x2 = x3 (1 + x12 )1/2 x3 + x/2 + . . .. Therefore,
 4 5  4

me c V
p2F
pF
U
+
4 2 ~3
m4e c4 m2e c2
Write

pF

= 1/3
me c
V

with
=
And we conclude

(3 2 N )1/3 ~
me c


U V

P =

U
V

4
2
+
V 4/3 V 2/3


=

4
2

3V 4/3 3V 2/3

Noting that V = 4/3R3 we have


P

2
1

R4 R2

Now apply equilibrium condition, which has


3GM 2
20R4


3GM 2
1
2
R =
1
2
201

1 /R4 2 /R2 =

Thus R = 0 if

3M 2 G
=1
201
2

Protons dont work because 1. theyre not relativistic, so youd need to recalculate the pressure without
relativity. 2. electrons are dominating the pressure.

EFFe = (peF )2 /2mFe


~2
(3 2 n)2/3
2m
1
me
EFFe EFe
15 eV
mfe 261/3
vs. the 800 eV for electrons. Fe is classical in comparison.
EF =

m4 c5
1 = e2 3
4 ~

(3 2 Ne )1/3 ~
me c

4

1
~c
=
(9/4)4/3 Ne4/3
4/3
2
3(4/3)
12

1/2
(9/4)4/6 (1/2mp )2/3 M 2/3
max MWD = (2/3G)1/2 ~c/12 2

3/2 
2
5~c
9
max MWD =
= 3.4 1033 g = 1.7Msun
9G
8mp
A more complete derivation uses correct density and pressure dependence on radius:
G(r)M (r)
dP (r)
=
dr
r2
Z r
M (r) =
4r2 (r) dr
0

Solving above gives max MWD = 1.4Msun .


If MW D > max MW D , then its note a white dwarf, electron pressure fails to stop contraction. Star heats
up with Fe 28n + 26p + 26e , pressure causes p + e n + , then neutron Fermi gas (degenerate)
stops collapse, and it becomes a neutron star.

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