Ph 12c Lecture 7.

1
May 12th, 2015

Contents
1 White Dwarf Stars as Fermi Gas

White Dwarf Stars as Fermi Gas

Wiens law; max T = constant. Absolute luminosity Labs = 4R2 J, J = T 4 . Hertzsprung-Russell

diagram. Demonstrates how the ln L for stars varies inversely as max . White dwarfs are on the lower
left corner of that plot.
MW D Msun 2 1033 g
RW D 2 109 cm
Rsun 7 1010 cm
hW D i = 6 104 g/cm3
Note: core 107 g/cm3 . Models of WD give core temperature of 107 K giviing a 800eV. Lets
construct a white dwarf assuming uniform density.
Star is stabilized by gravitational contraction versus pressure. Therefore (ergo/3 dots):
P dV = dE


3 M 2G
3GM 2
2
P (4R )dR = d
=
dR
5 R
R
3 GM 2
P =
5 4R4
Where does this come from? Consider pressure of ideal gas at = 800 eV.
P =

N
MW D /mFe
dyne
=
= 2.6 1017
2
V
4/3R
cm2

but

3 GM 2
21 dyne
=
1.3

10
5 4R2
cm2
Something else must supply pressure quantum gas.Consider gas of ionized e 1 e for each bound
proton.
M
Ne =
= 6 1056
2mp
P =

Then
hne i =

Ne
= 2 1028 /cm3
V
1

This gives EF = 30000 eV, and EF >> , so this is a degenerate Fermi gas. In such a density core
EF 1 MeV, we have a fairly relativistic Fermi gas and these electrons prevent stellar collapse. What
U
. When I squeeze a Fermi gas,
is the pressure caused by the electrons? We need U because P = V
,N
the entropy doesnt change much because its held in the number of states, which is fixed since every
state has 1 e . We need a relativistic form of U .
Recall

Ee2

2
U=
8
p2e c2

but
=
+
dnT = (L/~)dpe .

m2e c4 .

U =
with pF =

EN T 4n2T dnT

But quantum states still satisfy pe = ~k0 , ke = nT /L, nT = Lpe /~ and



~
n
L max

nmax

= (3 n)

1/3

L
~

3 Z

pF

(p2e c2 + m2e c4 )1/2 p2e dpe

~ since nmax = (3N/)1/3 and L3 = V .

Let x = pe /me c, dx = dpe /me c,


U=

V
2 ~3

me c (me c)

xmax

(1 + x2 )1/2 x2 dx

For highly relativistic xmax >> 1 we have (1 + x2 )1/2 x2 = x3 (1 + x12 )1/2 x3 + x/2 + . . .. Therefore,
 4 5  4

me c V
p2F
pF
U
+
4 2 ~3
m4e c4 m2e c2
Write

pF

= 1/3
me c
V

with
=
And we conclude

(3 2 N )1/3 ~
me c


U V

P =

U
V

4
2
+
V 4/3 V 2/3


=

4
2

3V 4/3 3V 2/3

Noting that V = 4/3R3 we have

P

2
1

R4 R2

Now apply equilibrium condition, which has

3GM 2
20R4


3GM 2
1
2
R =
1
2
201

1 /R4 2 /R2 =

Thus R = 0 if

3M 2 G
=1
201
2

Protons dont work because 1. theyre not relativistic, so youd need to recalculate the pressure without
relativity. 2. electrons are dominating the pressure.

EFFe = (peF )2 /2mFe

~2
(3 2 n)2/3
2m
1
me
EFFe EFe
15 eV
mfe 261/3
vs. the 800 eV for electrons. Fe is classical in comparison.
EF =

m4 c5
1 = e2 3
4 ~

(3 2 Ne )1/3 ~
me c

4

1
~c
=
(9/4)4/3 Ne4/3
4/3
2
3(4/3)
12


1/2
(9/4)4/6 (1/2mp )2/3 M 2/3
max MWD = (2/3G)1/2 ~c/12 2

3/2 
2
5~c
9
max MWD =
= 3.4 1033 g = 1.7Msun
9G
8mp
A more complete derivation uses correct density and pressure dependence on radius:
G(r)M (r)
dP (r)
=
dr
r2
Z r
M (r) =
4r2 (r) dr
0

Solving above gives max MWD = 1.4Msun .

If MW D > max MW D , then its note a white dwarf, electron pressure fails to stop contraction. Star heats
up with Fe 28n + 26p + 26e , pressure causes p + e n + , then neutron Fermi gas (degenerate)
stops collapse, and it becomes a neutron star.