Expert-level stellar physics covering stellar structure and evolution, nucleosynthesis, stellar atmospheres, variable stars, binary systems, and stellar populations.
Hydrostatic equilibrium: pressure gradient balances gravity at each shell. Energy transport: radiative diffusion of photons or convective bulk motion. Mass-luminosity relation: L proportional to M to the power 4 for main sequence. Lane-Emden equation: polytropic models of stellar structure. Convection zones: low-mass stars fully convective, solar-type have outer convection zone.
Pre-main sequence: Hayashi track fully convective, Henyey track radiative. Zero-age main sequence: star settles into stable hydrogen burning phase. Red giant: hydrogen shell burning, core contraction, envelope expansion. Horizontal branch: helium core burning, instability strip contains RR Lyrae. AGB: asymptotic giant branch, thermal pulses, mass loss, planetary nebula formation.
Big Bang nucleosynthesis: H, D, He-3, He-4, Li-7 produced in first minutes. Stellar nucleosynthesis: CNO cycle, triple-alpha process, s-process. Explosive nucleosynthesis: r-process in neutron star mergers, p-process in supernovae. Chemical evolution: enrichment of ISM by stellar winds and supernova ejecta.
Classifications: visual, spectroscopic, eclipsing, astrometric binaries. Roche lobe overflow: mass transfer when star fills its Roche lobe. Cataclysmic variables: white dwarf accreting from companion, novae and dwarf novae. Type Ia supernovae: white dwarf reaching Chandrasekhar mass via accretion.
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Ignoring metallicity effects | Metal-poor stars evolve differently from solar |
| Applying solar-calibrated models to all stars | Low-mass and high-mass stars differ significantly |
| Confusing luminosity classes | Use gravity-sensitive lines to distinguish |
| Missing binary contamination in photometry | Check for variability and composite spectra |