Homework Set-IV for PHY-305A: Physics of the Universe

Date: 9th October, 2017

Instructor: Kaushik Bhattarcharya1
Office: FB-387, Phone: 7306

1. It is known that the mass of a proton mp and the mass of a neutron mn are given as:

mp = 1.6726 × 10−24 gm , mn = 1.6749 × 10−24 gm .

(a) The mass of the Deuteron, md = 3.3436 × 10−24 gm. From this data find out the
mass-defect, ∆m = mp +mn −md . The binding energy (BE) of the Deuteron is ∆mc2
where c is the velocity of light. Calculate the BE of deuteron and express the answer
in units of mega electron-volts (MeV). You are given that 1 eV = 1.6 × 10−12 ergs.
Find out the ratio BE per necleon for the deuteron.
(b) The mass of the Helium nucleus is given by mHe = 6.6447 × 10−24 gm. In this case
also find out the mass-defect and the BE in units of MeV. Finally express the ratio
BE per necleon for the Helium nucleus.
(c) From the above answers can you specify how nuch amount of energy one requires to
supply to the Deuteron or a Helium nucleus to break them apart?

2. Suppose a white dwarf star is made up of electrons and ions where the electron density
is much higher. If ne is the electron density and me is the electron mass then

(a) express the degeneracy pressure of the system. In this case you know that the
Fermi energy (chemical potential at zero temperature) is given by the formula ǫF =
h̄2
2me
(3π 2 n)2/3 where h̄ = h/2 and ne = Ne /V is the number density of electrons. You
also know that the pressure of such a system is given by Pe = 23 UVe where Ue is the
total energy of the system given by Ue = 53 N ǫF . From all this information show that

h2 n5/3
e
Pe = 0.0485 . (1)
me

(b) In white dwarf stars we have overall charge neutrality. This means that if the number
density of ions is n+ all of which have atomic number Z and atomic weight A then
Zn+ = ne . The mass density ρ is then given by ρ = Amp n+ + me ne where mp is the
mass of a proton. Here we have disregarded the mass difference between a proton
and the neutron. As because the electron mass is too small compared to the proton
mass so we can write ρ ∼ Amp n+ . In such a case show that
5/3
Z ρ h2 Z ρ5/3

ne = , Pe = 0.0485 5/3
.
A mp me A mp

(c) In a typical white dwarf, the average density is ρ = 106 gm cm−3 and average internal
temperature is T = 107 , K. Assume Z/A = 0.5. From this numbers calculate Pe
from Eq. (1). Compare this result with the standard thermal pressure ne KB T of the
electron gas. Find out which is the dominant one.
1
Email: kaushikb@iitk.ac.in

1
3. Now consider the white dwarf star where the electrons can become relativistic. We have a
basic equation of pressure as P = nvx px as deduced in calss where the symbols have their
conventional meaning. If the number density of electrons is ne then the average spatial
separation of the electrons will be ∆x = 1/n1/3e . Consequently the mean x-component
momentum is px ∼ ∆px ∼ h/∆x = hne1/3 .

(a) From this show that the electron pressure is Pe ∼ hvx n4/3
e .

(b) In the ultrarlativistic limit vx approaches the maximum value c. Consequently for
ultrarelativistic electron gas the pressure becomes Pe ∼ hcn4/3
e . A more precise
calculation yields
Pe = 0.123hcn4/3
e .

At what value of electron density ne does the nonrelativistic formula for Pe have the
same numerical value as given by the ultrarelativistic formula?
(c) Using the above ne from the solution verify that the typical velocity vx = px /me =
1/3
hne
me
is indeed relativistic. Here relativistic means vx /c must not be negligible.