Secular instability from thermal conductivity in rotating stars

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/157460· OSTI ID:5758119

Lindblom, L

A criterion to test the secular stability of rigidly rotating, isothermal Newtonian stellar models is formulated, which includes the dissipative effects of viscosity and thermal conductivity. This criterion reveals a previously unnoticed fact: thermal conductivity can cause secular instability in rotating stellar models. Any stellar model (except for models having degenerate thermodynamic properties such as an incompressible fluid) which is unstable if viscosity is present would also be unstable if the heat conduction coefficient were nonzero. Furthermore, it is shown that the time scale associated with the heat conduction instability can be shorter than the viscous instability time scale.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
• OSTI ID: 5758119
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 233:3; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DISTURBANCES
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FLUID FLOW
GAUGE INVARIANCE
INSTABILITY
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOTION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
ROTATION
STAR MODELS
STARS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VISCOSITY