Thermodynamical properties of stellar matter II. Internal energy, temperature and density exponents, and specific heats for stellar interiors

Citation
W. Stolzmann et T. Blocker, Thermodynamical properties of stellar matter II. Internal energy, temperature and density exponents, and specific heats for stellar interiors, ASTRON ASTR, 361(3), 2000, pp. 1152-1168
Citations number
56
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ISSN journal
00046361 → ACNP
Volume
361
Issue
3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1152 - 1168
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(200009)361:3<1152:TPOSMI>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
Starting from the Helmholtz free energy we calculate analytically first- an d second-order derivatives, as internal energy and specific heats, for the ideal system and the exchange and correlation interactions covering a broad range of degeneracy and relativity. The complex physics of Coulomb interac tions is expressed by Pade Approximants, which reflect the actual state of our knowledge with high accuracy. We assume complete ionization and provide a base system of thermodynamical functions from which any other thermodyna mical quantities can be calculated. We chose for the base system the free e nergy, the pressure, the internal energy, the isothermal compressibility (o r density exponent), the coefficient of strain (or temperature exponent), a nd the isochoric specific heat. By means of the latter potentials entropy, isobaric specific heat and adiabatic temperature gradient can be determined . We give comparisons with quantities which are composed by numerical secon d-order derivatives of the free energy and show that numerical derivatives of the free energy as calculated, for instance, from EOS tables, may produc e discontinuities for astrophysically relevant quantities as, e.g., the adi abatic temperature gradient. Adiabatic temperature gradients are shown for different chemical compositions (hydrogen, helium, carbon). Finally the use d formalism of Pade Approximants allows immediate incorporation of recent r esults from many particle statistics.