Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/iii/paper-46/2/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 46 2 i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The vertical hydrostatic equilibrium equation balances the gradient of the total pressure against gravity. In a thin disk with Keplerian rotation, expanding the central gravitational field about the midplane gives vertical acceleration , so . Disk self-gravity is neglected in this approximation.
The flux-gradient equation is local thermal balance: the upward radiative flux increases with height because differential rotation dissipates energy. For a Newtonian effective dynamic viscosity , the volumetric heating rate is , which becomes for Keplerian rotation. The symbol here is dynamic viscosity, not kinematic viscosity; the latter is .
The radiative diffusion equation applies to an optically thick medium in local thermodynamic equilibrium. Its diffusion coefficient is , and the equilibrium radiation energy density is . HenceThe minus sign means energy flows down the temperature gradient. Here is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, the opacity per unit mass, and the speed of light. Constant Thomson scattering opacity is the adopted transport approximation; local thermodynamic equilibrium is an additional assumption behind the radiation equation of state.
Finally the equation of state adds ideal gas gas pressure and isotropic radiation pressure . The Boltzmann constant is , and is the mean mass per gas particle. Both contributions supply the total pressure entering vertical hydrostatic equilibrium.
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