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In a spherical self-gravitating equilibrium with positive mass density, $d\psi /dr=GM(r)/r^2>0$ away from the center. Thus $r$ can locally be replaced by $\psi$, so both $p(r)$ and $\rho (r)$ can be expressed as functions of $\psi$. Hydrostatic equilibrium further givesSince $p$ decreases outward wherever $\rho >0$, eliminating $\psi$ gives a barotropic equation of state along this equilibrium. This is a relation describing its structure; it does not require all thermodynamic perturbations of an arbitrary material to be barotropic.

For $p=K{\rho }^{1+1/n}$, integrate the polytropic enthalpy balance $dp/\rho =-d\psi$:For a finite-radius zero-pressure boundary with $K>0$ and $n>0$, $\rho (R)=0$ and therefore ${\psi }_T=\psi (R)$. With the gravitational potential zero at infinity, an isolated sphere has ${\psi }_T=-GM/R$. It is an integration constant tied to that boundary, not necessarily a zero of the gravitational potential.

Put $\theta =(\rho /{\rho }_c{)}^{1/n}$ and $\xi =\alpha r$, with ${\alpha }^2=4\pi G{\rho }_c^{1-1/n}/[(n+1)K]$. The preceding relation gives $\psi ={\psi }_T-(n+1)K{\rho }_c^{1/n}\theta$. Substitution into the spherical gravitational Poisson equation yields the Lane-Emden equationLet ${\xi }_1$ be the first zero of the regular Lane-Emden function and $Y_n=-{\xi }_1^2{\theta }^{\prime }({\xi }_1)>0$. Then the Lane-Emden mass formula and radius areFor a common fixed polytropic index with a finite first zero, their scalings areThe usual regular zero-pressure models have a finite first zero for $0<n<5$; the $n=5$ model has infinite radius, so a finite-radius formula cannot simply be applied to it.

For an ideal gas of fixed composition, $T_c\propto K{\rho }_c^{1/n}$. Consequently homologous polytropes at fixed central temperature have $K\propto {\rho }_c^{-1/n}$ and both $M,R\propto {\rho }_c^{-1/2}$, recovering $M\propto R$. The common central temperature, composition and dimensionless structure are the relevant assumptions. Keeping $K$ fixed instead gives the different polytropic mass-radius relation, and no finite index makes its generic fixed-$K$ exponent exactly one.

For adiabatic monatomic hydrogen, $\gamma =5/3$ and $n=3/2$. At a common fixed specific entropy, hence common $K$, the same relations giveHere $\bar{\rho }=3M/(4\pi R^3)$, and the omitted constant in the last relation depends on $K$. A population with different cloud entropies need not follow that mass sequence.

Efficient radiative cooling in molecular clouds prevents compression from forcing the temperature upward as steeply as in an adiabatic monatomic gas. Rotational transitions of molecules and radiation by dust provide low-temperature cooling channels; which dominates depends on composition, opacity and temperature. It is therefore possible to assemble dense massive cold clouds while disposing of compressional heat. This explains the direction of the idealized comparison, rather than proving a universal cloud-mass cutoff.

For a common isothermal sound speed $c_T$, a spherical isothermal equilibrium has $GM/R$ equal to $c_T^2$ times a dimensionless structural factor. Holding that factor fixed gives the homologous isothermal mass-radius relationFor example, the singular isothermal sphere has $M(R)=2c_T^{2}R/G$. A regular finite cloud requires a pressure-confined isothermal sphere or another outer boundary: an unconfined isothermal sphere does not end at a finite vacuum radius. Equal temperature alone, while allowing arbitrary truncation or density contrast, does not make the coefficient universal.

For an ideal gas of fixed composition, the central temperature satisfies $T_c\propto p_c/{\rho }_c=K{\rho }_c^{1/n}$. Keeping $T_c$ fixed therefore requires $K\propto {\rho }_c^{-1/n}$, rather than keeping the polytropic constant fixed. Substitution in the Lane-Emden equation scalings givesConsequently the homologous polytropes at fixed central temperature obeyThe polytropic index and mean particle mass must be common to this homologous sequence: varying either changes the dimensionless structural coefficient. The fixed-central-temperature assumption is the idealization being used here, rather than a universal property of real stars.

Write the polytropic law as $p=K{\rho }^{1+1/n}$, with constant $K$ and $n>0$. Its pressure potential, or polytropic enthalpy relative to zero density, isHydrostatic balance is $dH/dr=-d\psi /dr$. If the surface has zero density and potential ${\psi }_0$, integration gives $H={\psi }_0-\psi$. At the centre, $\Delta \psi \equiv {\psi }_0-{\psi }_c=(n+1)K{\rho }_c^{1/n}>0$. ThereforeInsert $\psi ={\psi }_0-\Delta \psi \theta$ and $\rho ={\rho }_c{\theta }^n$ into the spherical Poisson equation for Newtonian gravity:The central conditions are $\theta (0)=1$ and ${\theta }^{\prime }(0)=0$; the latter follows from a regular spherically symmetric centre. This reproduces the supplied coordinate and potential scaling rather than introducing an unrelated normalization.

For the sound-speed task, the adiabatic sound speed of a perfect polytropic gas isA diatomic gas with active rotational but frozen vibrational degrees of freedom has $\gamma =7/5$ and $n=5/2$. With the requested surface-potential gauge ${\psi }_0=0$,The interior potential is then negative. Choosing zero potential at the surface is legitimate; for a finite isolated sphere it is a different additive gauge from setting potential to zero at infinity. Both choices cannot generally be imposed simultaneously.

For the mass-radius task, let ${\xi }_1$ be the first zero of the regular Lane-Emden function and $Y_n=-{\xi }_1^2{\theta }^{\prime }({\xi }_1)$. A finite-radius polytrope hasThusAt fixed central temperature, fixed composition and fixed polytropic index, $M\propto R$. These are homologous polytropes at fixed central temperature. They do not in general have constant $K$; imposing constant entropy instead gives a different polytropic mass-radius sequence. If $n$ or $\mu$ varies between stars, the displayed dimensionless structure factor and composition factor must be retained: equal $T_c$ alone is not a universal exact proportionality for arbitrary stellar models.