Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/iii/paper-315/3/a/solution

For a spherical stellar polytrope with , the Lane-Emden equation gives
Eliminating the central density at fixed composition and entropy gives the polytropic mass-radius relation
An incompressible rocky body has and . A moderately massive gas giant is approximately an polytrope and has , explaining its weak radius dependence on mass. In a more strongly degenerate nonrelativistic regime, gives .

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