Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2015/iii/paper-58/2/e/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 58 2 e Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a stellar polytrope of index , write and combine hydrostatic equilibrium with mass conservation to obtainIntroduce Lane-Emden variables for a stellar polytrope, , and , whereSince , the mechanical equation reduces to the Lane-Emden equationA constant-density interior corresponds to the formal polytrope of index zero, with where . At , regularity first gives , and a second integration givesHere and , reproducing . The mass density jumps from its constant interior value to zero at the surface, while pressure vanishes continuously. The relation is singular at ; the regular dimensionless pressure/mass density formulation defines this incompressible structural limit. It does not mean that the gas's perturbative stellar adiabatic exponent is infinite: the hydrostatic ideal-gas toy model and its adiabatic response are distinct choices.
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