Astrophysics

What’z dat?
• Astrophysics is a branch of science,

physics, astronomy etc.
• It’s the study of universe ,its formation and
properties.
It Containzz !?!
• Properties of stars
• Sun
• Hertzsprung – Russel diagram
• Stellar evolution
• Photon Diffusion time
Properties of stars
Brightness
Luminosity
Temperature
Size
Mass
Density
Stellar spectra
Brightness
• Brightness of a star is measured on a
scale called magnitude scale.
• Introduced by Greek astronomer
Hipparchus.
• @ his time brightest were called 1st
magnitude stars and faintest were 6th
magnitude stars.
• Magnitude difference of 5 = 100 times the
brightness differences.
Brightness of 1st magnitude star
=100=(2.512)5
Brightness of 6th magnitude star
• This was modified to include zero and negative
and extend beyond 6.
• If l1 and l2 are the brightness of 2 stars of

magnitude m1 and m2 then
m2 - m1 = -2.5 log (l2 / l1 )
Luminosity
• Luminosity of a star is the light energy
radiated by it per second in all directions.
Temperature
• Temperature of a star can be estimated by
studying the intensity distribution in its
spectrum as a function of its wavelength.
• The intensity varies with wavelength and
is a max for a particular wavelength ( λmax )
for a given star.
• The colour corresponding to the value of
λmax decides the colour of the star.
• According to the Wein’s law
λmax α 1/ T
Therefore ,
λmax T = constant ; where TK is the temperature of
the emitter, namely the core of the star.
Constant = 2.897 X 10-3 mK

Therefore by knowing λmax we can know T.
• Hottest stars appear white or blue
and coolest appear red or orange.
• Stars are accordingly classified into
O,B,A,F,G,K and M .
• They are in the order of decreasing
temperature and colour varying from
blue to red.
• Our sun is a G star corresponding to
λmax =550nm
Size of Stars
• Size of stars cannot be cannot be
calculated by measuring its angular
diameter as even when viewed through
powerful telescopes they appear as point
masses.
• According to Stefan Boltzmann law,
E = σT4 where E is the energy emitted per
unit area of a star whose temperature is
TK and σ is Stefan's constant.
• If R radius of the star whose luminosity is
L then L = 4πR2E = 4πR2σT4 .
knowing the values of T and L , then R
can be calculated.
• Radius of most stars lie between 10Rө
and 20Rө .
where Rө is the radius of the sun,
• Radius of giants and super giants lie
between 50Rө and 250Rө .
• Dwarfs are comparable to earth’s radius.
Kepler’s III law
• The square of the period of revolution of
the planet is directly proportional to yhe
cube of the semi-major axis of the eliptical
orbit.
• AA’ is the major axis and OA = OA’ is the
semi-major axis. Units are Au and years.
P
A’ A
S o
Mass
• Mass of a Star is calculated by using
Kepler’s III law to Binary Stars.
• Nearly of the Stars in the Universe are the
Binary stars.
• Binary stars comprises of two stars bound
by the force of gravitation orbiting around
the common centre of mass.
• If M1 and M2 are masses of the binary
stars, by Kepler’s III law it is shown that
M1 + M2 = a3 / T2 ……………… (1)
where a is the distance between them in
Au and T is the time period of revolution in
years.
• If a1 and a2 are the distances of the stars
from the common centre of mass then
M1 a1 = M2 a2 ….………….. (2)
• From (1) and (2) we can obtain value of
M1 and M2 in terms of solar masses
Density
• As we move from the centre of a star
towards the edge then both density and
temperature decreases.
• Temperature varies from 10million – 30
million.
• Density varies from 10 Kg m-3 to a few
thousand Kg m-3 .
Stellar Spectra
• The interior of as star emits various kinds
radiations of all wavelengths.
• As this radiations passes through
comparitively cool layers, certain
wavelenghts are absorbed.
• Hence the spectrum has number of lines.
• By studying these spectra the elements
present in the astr atmospheres can be
determined.
Sun
Sun is the nearest star and the closest object in

our solar system.
Stats of Sun
Mean distance (1Au) 41.496 X 108 m
Radius 6.9 X 108 m
Magnitude Absolute 4.8
Apparent - 26.8
Core temperature 15 million K
Pressure 250 billion atm
Density 150 times water
Mass 2 X 1030 Kg
• The surface of the sun is called
photosphere which is about 5800K.
• A small region called chromosphere is
above photosphere.
• And above it is corona. And it’s
temperature is about 106 K
• Diamond ring
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
___________ corona
Who heats up the SUN !!#$@
• The sun gets its energy from nuclear
fusion.
• Each second 7 X 108 tons of hydrogen is
converted to helium.
• Energy is given out in the form of γ rays .
If energy is in γ rays then how do
we get visible light #$#!?
• γ rays travel outwards and energy is
continuously absorbed and re – emitted at
a lower temperature.
• By the time they reach the surface they
emerge as visible light.
How old are u SON ?#$#!
When will u die son 
Hertzsprung – Russel diagram
• Hertzsprung and Russel showed that
regular pattern is obtained when the
absolute magnitude ( measure of
luminosity ) is plotted against its surface
temperature (color).
• In short its called H-R diagram.
H. R
. di
ag r
am
• 90% of stars lie in this strip .
• This is called main sequence stars.
• Luminosity = Mass3.5 in solar units.
Main sequence stars
• All the stars visible with the naked eye
belongs to milky way galaxy.
• Most of the stars have same chemical
composition but luminosity and surface
temperature is characteristic of a given
star.
Exceptions
• 10% of stars do not follow the

Mass – Luminosity relation .
1.Giants and Supergiants

2.White dwarfs
Giants and Supergiants
• The giants and supergiants are in upper right
of the H-R diagram.
• These must have large diameter as they are
very luminous even though they are cool .
• Thus they have large surface area over which
energy is radiated.
White Dwarfs
• Even though White Dwarfs are hot they

are dim .
• Hence they are small having small surface
area over which energy is radiated .
Internal temperature of a star
• Assuming that during its contraction a star
radiates energy like a black body it obeys
Stefan Boltzmann law.
• E = σT4 where TK is the temperature of the star.
• Assuming that temperature of the core
decreases linearly as we move towards the
surface , the temperature at a distance r is
given by the relation
T(r) = Tc where Tc = core temperature

for the star and R is the radius .
Internal pressure of a star
• A star’s pressure is max @ its core and
decreases as we move outwards.
• The pressure of a star is ,

1. Directly proportional to its mass
2. Inversely proportional to the fourth power
of its radius
Stellar evolution
• Stellar evolution is the process by which
a star undergoes a sequence of radical
changes during its lifetime.
• Depending on the mass of the star, this

lifetime ranges from only a few million
years (for the most massive) to trillions of
years (for the least massive)
Oye SON how u born #$!
• Stellar evolution begins with the gravitational
collapse of a giant molecular cloud (GMC).
• Typical GMCs are roughly 100 light-years
(9.5×1014 km) across and contain up to
6,000,000 solar masses (1.2×1037 kg).
• As it collapses, a GMC breaks into smaller and
smaller pieces.
• As its temperature and pressure increase, a
fragment condenses into a rotating sphere of
superhot gas known as a protostar.
Birth of a star
Maturity
• The continuous fusion of hydrogen into
helium will cause a build-up of helium in
the core.
• The rate at which this process occurs
depends on the initial mass of the star and
ranges from millions to billions of years.
• Larger, hotter stars produce
helium more rapidly than
smaller, cooler ones.
Photon Diffusion time
• The γ ray photons produced during the
reactions in the core move outwards.
• During their motion they collide with free
electrons and get scattered, following a
zigzag path.
• This motion is also called random walk.
• Photon diffusion time is the ratio of the
total radiant energy e contained in the
volume of the star to the luminosity l of the
star.
• τ=e
l
• For the sun τ = 3.46 X 1012 s.
Random walk
It Containzz !?!
• Properties of stars
• Sun
• Main sequence stars
• Hertzsprung – Russel diagram
• Stellar evolution
• Photon Diffusion time

Astrophysics

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What is the magnitude scale used to measure brightness of stars?

How can the temperature of a star be estimated?

What’z dat?

• Astrophysics is a branch of science,

• If l1 and l2 are the brightness of 2 stars of

Constant = 2.897 X 10-3 mK

Sun is the nearest star and the closest object in

• 10% of stars do not follow the

1.Giants and Supergiants

• Even though White Dwarfs are hot they

T(r) = Tc where Tc = core temperature

• The pressure of a star is ,

• Depending on the mass of the star, this

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