Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ii/paper-3/10d/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ii Paper 3 10D a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Assemble the star by adding spherical shells. A shell of mass at radius has gravitational potential energy relative to infinity, givingMultiplication of the hydrostatic equilibrium equation by and integration by parts givesFor an isolated star with negligible surface pressure, . Using , the virial theorem becomes . If a nonzero external pressure is present, the surface term must be retained: . Thus the printed zero-surface-term identity implicitly assumes an isolated star.
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