- Docente: Francesco Rosario Ferraro
- Credits: 8
- SSD: FIS/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Astrophysics and cosmology (cod. 8018)
Learning outcomes
The aim of this course is to give a specialistic overview of the stellar evolution theory for stars with different masses. In particular the student will understand how the main physical properties of stars with different masses change as a function of the age, how these changes are related to the thermonuclear evolution of each star, which are the final stages of star life, which are the properties of the remnants.
The student will also get a general view of the open issues in the field of the stellar evolution research.
Course contents
Pre-Main sequence evolution. Hayashi tracks. The core hydrogen-burning phase. The stellar structure along the Zero Age Main Sequence. Isothermal core properties and Shomberg-Chandrasekhar criterion. Post-Main sequence evolution. Envelope expansion. Sub-Giant and Red-Giant phases. The first Dredge-up. General properties of stars along the RGB: RGB-Bump and the development of a degenerate Helium core in low mass stars. The Helium flash. The Zero Age Horizontal Branch and the observational properties of the Horizontal Branch. Convection and the overshooting problem. The semi-convection theory. Double shell burning phase. The Asymptotic Giant Branch phase. The element production in the AGB. The second and third dredge-up. Pulsating stars. The period-luminosity relation. The k-mechanism and the partially ionized regions. Cepheids and RR Lyrae. The final stages of stellar evolution. White Dwarf properties. The Chandrashekar mass. Type II and Ia Supernovae: progenitors, time scales, ejecta and remnants.
Readings/Bibliography
Lecture notes - Ferraro
An Introduction to modern
Astrophysics - Carroll & Ostlie
Evolution of stars and stellar populations - Salaris &
Cassisi
Astrofisica stellare - V. Castellani
Corso di Astrofisica - Cester
Astrophysics I. stars - Bowers& Deeming
Assessment methods
Oral examination.
Teaching tools
Lecures are presented by using power-point presentations
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Rosario Ferraro