Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / iii / Paper 54 / 4 / d

The pressure-square term in the Cowling energy principle for a rotating barotropic star is nonnegative, and ${\mathcal{N}}^2>0$ makes its stratification term nonnegative. Write $j=R^2\Omega$ for specific angular momentum. ThenFor a regular star reaching the rotation axis, $j(0)=0$. The given $dj/dR>0$ therefore makes $j>0$ for $R>0$, and consequently ${\kappa }^2>0$. Equivalently, with the usual nonnegative angular-velocity convention the sign follows directly. All three energy terms are nonnegative, soThis is stability within the Cowling approximation used throughout. The orientation-independent rotational condition is $d(j^2)/dR\ge 0$, the Rayleigh discriminant criterion. If a fluid region excludes the axis and negative angular velocity is allowed, $dj/dR>0$ alone needs the additional sign of $j$; the squared-angular-momentum criterion avoids that ambiguity.