Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000aas...197.8725c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 197th AAS Meeting, #87.25; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 32, p.1559
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Undergraduate physics students at many institutions are never exposed to any aspect of theoretical astrophysics. This is doubly unfortunate because students then miss the opportunity to integrate their knowledge of several disciplines and apply it to interesting astrophysical phenomena. Students find pulsating stars inherently interesting, even more so when the role of these stars in determining cosmological distances is explained. Delta Cephei is such a star, with a pulsation period of 5 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes. Introductory physics students can combine the equations of gravitation and adiabatic gas processes with Newton's 2nd law to produce a simple numerical model of Delta Cephei that precisely reproduces its period. Graphs of the oscillations are distinctly nonsinusoidal. Student curiosity about where the period is ``hiding'' in the equations can lead to the technique of linearization and a discussion of how small departures from stable equilibrium result in simple harmonic motion. This work is supported by the Department of Physics at Weber State University.
Carroll Bradley W.
Ostlie Dale A.
No associations
LandOfFree
Bringing Pulsating Stars Into the Physics Classroom does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Bringing Pulsating Stars Into the Physics Classroom, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bringing Pulsating Stars Into the Physics Classroom will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1727085