Why do giants puff up?

Details Why do giants puff up? Why do giants puff up?

Sep 1985

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985apj...296..554y&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 296, Sept. 15, 1985, p. 554-564.

Computer Science

Sound

17

Hydrostatic Pressure, Late Stars, Red Giant Stars, Stellar Envelopes, Stellar Structure, Pressure Distribution, Stellar Composition, Stellar Evolution, Stellar Mass Ejection, Stellar Models, Ultraviolet Spectra

Scientific paper

The hydrostatic structure of red giant stars is considered. Given a few general structural features, common to all red giants, a condition is formulated under which a star attains giant structure, i.e., a highly distended envelope surrounding a condensed core. As is illustrated in the U-V plane, the family of envelope solutions to the equation of hydrostatic equilibrium exhibits a cut if the local polytropic index exceeds the value 3. Giant structure obtains when the actual solution curve crosses the critical curve representing this cut. In red giants the local polytropic index is expected to be greater than 3 in the burning shell and a significant part of the radiative envelope. The associated critical curve appears to be crossed owing to the sharp change in composition at the edge of the hydrogen-exhausted core which results in a near-discontinuity in the density. In broad terms, the physical significance of the transition is that the local speed of sound becomes comparable to the escape velocity. To prevent evaporation, enough mass must be piled up above this point, extending out to at least a Jeans radius.

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