Abstract
THE generally accepted theory of the internal conditions in stars, due to Sir A. S. Eddington, depends largely on a special solution of the fundamental equations, and according to this a definite calculable luminosity is associated with a given mass. If this were the only solution of the equations it would conflict, as I have repeatedly shown in recent papers, with the obvious physical considerations which show that we can build up a given mass in equilibrium so as to have an arbitrary luminosity (not too large) whatever the assumed physical properties of the material. I have recently noticed that the fundamental equations possess a whole family of solutions, corresponding to arbitrarily assigned luminosit for given mass. These solutions show immediately that Eddington's solution is a special solution and corresponds to an unstable distribution of mass. In the stable distributions the density and temperature tend to very high values as the centre is approached, theoretically becoming infinite if the classical gas laws held to unlimited compressibility.
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MILNE, E. Stellar Structure and the Origin of Stellar Energy. Nature 126, 238 (1930). https://doi.org/10.1038/126238a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/126238a0
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