Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- How to Use the Book
- First Steps
- Project 1: Rectangular Finite Quantum Well – Stationary Schrödinger Equation in 1D
- Project 2: Diffraction of Light on a Slit
- Project 3: Pendulum as a Standard of the Unit of Time
- Project 4: Planetary System
- Project 5: Gravitation inside a Star
- Project 6: Normal Modes in a Cylindrical Waveguide
- Project 7: Thermal Insulation Properties of a Wall
- Project 8: Cylindrical Capacitor
- Advanced Projects
- Project 9: Coupled Harmonic Oscillators
- Project 10: The Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou Problem
- Project 11: Hydrogen Star
- Project 12: Rectangular Quantum Well Filled with Electrons – The Idea of Self-Consistent Calculations
- Project 13: Time Dependent Schrödinger Equation
- Project 14: Poisson’s Equation in 2D
- Appendix A: Supplementary Materials
- Further Reading
- Index
Project 5: - Gravitation inside a Star
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2024
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- How to Use the Book
- First Steps
- Project 1: Rectangular Finite Quantum Well – Stationary Schrödinger Equation in 1D
- Project 2: Diffraction of Light on a Slit
- Project 3: Pendulum as a Standard of the Unit of Time
- Project 4: Planetary System
- Project 5: Gravitation inside a Star
- Project 6: Normal Modes in a Cylindrical Waveguide
- Project 7: Thermal Insulation Properties of a Wall
- Project 8: Cylindrical Capacitor
- Advanced Projects
- Project 9: Coupled Harmonic Oscillators
- Project 10: The Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou Problem
- Project 11: Hydrogen Star
- Project 12: Rectangular Quantum Well Filled with Electrons – The Idea of Self-Consistent Calculations
- Project 13: Time Dependent Schrödinger Equation
- Project 14: Poisson’s Equation in 2D
- Appendix A: Supplementary Materials
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
This project explores the boundary value problem (BVP) for ordinary differential equations concerning the gravitational field inside a star. The study equates the problem to the electric field inside an atom and reduces the partial differential equation of Poisson’s type to a second order ordinary differential equation, utilising high symmetry. The uniqueness of the solution is ensured by applying two conditions at two ends of the independent variable range. The Numerov’s (Cowell’s) algorithm is employed to solve the equation accurately. However, it is identified that numerical solutions can be very sensitive to the value chosen for the second point, necessitating a recursive scheme. The project also introduces the application of Gauss law, Poisson’s equation, and the Numerov–Cowells algorithm in determining the gravitational potential inside a star given a model radial mass density distribution. The study concludes by discussing the possibility of treating the recursive formula as a tridiagonal system of linear equations and solving it with Gaussian elimination with backward substitution algorithm.
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- A First Guide to Computational Modelling in Physics , pp. 34 - 39Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024