Chapter 1 Observational Characterization of Stars
Section 1.1 Distance: Trigonometric Parallax
Trigonometric Parallax
Arcsecond and Parsec
Section 1.1 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.1 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.1 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.2: Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) Diagram
Stellar Luminosity
Surface Temperature
Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) Diagram
Stefan-Boltzmann Law in the H-R Diagram
Stellar Radius
Section 1.2 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.2 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.2 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.3 Distance: Spectroscopic Parallax
Going Farther than Trigonometric Parallax
Spectral Type
Luminosity Class
Spectroscopic Parallax
Section 1.3 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.3 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.3 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.4 Distance: Main Sequence Fitting
Main Sequence Fitting Method
The Distance Ladder
Section 1.4 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.4 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.4 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.5 Stellar Motion
Translational (Sideways) Motion
Radial Motion
Doppler Effect
Space Motion
Barnard’s Star
Section 1.5 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.5 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.5 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.6 Stellar Mass
Solar Mass
Visual Binary
Spectroscopic Binary
Mass-Luminosity Relationship for Main-Sequence Stars
Section 1.6 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.6 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 1.6 Short Answer Exercise
Section 1.7 Chapter Summary
Glossary of Important Terms
Chapter 2 Stellar Structure
Section 2.1 Mass Conservation
Equation of Mass Continuity
Stellar Mass
Example: Constant Density Star
Example: Inverse-Square Distribution
Section 2.1 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.1 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.1 Short Answer Exercise
Section 2.2 Equation of Motion
Hydrostatic Equilibrium Equation
Interior Pressure
Example: Core Pressure of a Constant Density Star
Example: Core Temperature of a Constant Density Star
Example: Probing the Stellar Interiors with the Observables
Virial Theorem
Example: Gravitational Energy of a Star
Section 2.2 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.2 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.2 Short Answer Exercise
Section 2.3 Energy Conservation
Thermal Equilibrium Equation
Stellar Luminosity
Energy Sources and Sinks
Nuclear Energy Generation and Neutrino Energy Loss
Thermodynamics in the Interiors
Internal Energy
Work Done by or on the Gas Shell
Gravitational Energy Release
General Thermal Equilibrium Equation
Static Approximation and Stellar Structure
Dynamic Effects and Stellar Evolution
Nuclear Energy Generation
Proton-Proton (PP) Chain
Beta Decays
Proton Capture
Neutron Capture
The Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen (CNO) Cycle
Triple Alpha Process
Alpha Capture
Nucleosynthesis in Stars
Section 2.3 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.3 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.3 Short Answer Exercise
Section 2.4 Energy Transport
Temperature Gradient and Diffusion
Radiative Energy Transport
Example: Thomson Scattering
Conductive Energy Transport
Convective Energy Transport
Convective Stability Criterion
Convective Energy Flux
Convective Velocity
Temperature Difference \Delta T Between the Gas Parcel and Environment
Mixing Length Theory
Determining the Temperature Gradient
Section 2.4 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.4 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 2.4 Short Answer Exercise
Section 2.5 Chapter Summary
Glossary of Important Terms
Chapter 3 Stellar Evolution
Section 3.1 Star Formation
The Beginning–Giant Molecular Clouds
Jeans Criterion for Gravitational Collapse
Fragmentation of Collapsing Clouds
Kelvin–Helmholtz Time Scale
K-H Time Scale of a Solar Mass Cloud
Hayashi Convective Track and Forbidden Zone
Henyey Radiative Track
Formation of the Accretion Disk
Self-Regulating Gravitational Contraction
Angular Momentum Conservation
Rise of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs)
Rise of Main-Sequence Stars
Mass Limits
Lower Mass Limit
Upper Mass Limit
Section 3.1 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.1 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.1 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.2 Main-Sequence Evolution
Section 3.2 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.2 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.2 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.3 Post-MS Evolution: Red Giant Branch Phase
H burning at the bottom of the H shell above the He core
Shell Expansion: Birth of Red Giant Branch Stars
The First Dredge-Up
Section 3.3 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.3 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.3 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.4 Post-MS Evolution: Core He Ignition and Horizontal Branch Phase
He Ignition in the Core
He Flash in the Electron Degenerate Core
Horizontal Branch
Section 3.4 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.4 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.4 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.5 Post-MS Evolution: Asymptotic Giant Branch Phase
Alternate Burning of H and He in Separate Shells
Thermal Pulses
The Second Dredge-Up
The Third Dredge-Up
Mass Loss via Dust-Driven Stellar Winds
Section 3.5 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.5 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.5 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.6 Post-AGB Evolution: Planetary Nebula Phase
Physical Detachment of the Circumstellar Envelope
Post-AGB Nebulae
Planetary Nebulae
Section 3.6 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.6 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.6 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.7 Post-AGB Evolution: White Dwarf Phase
White Dwarf Phase
Born-Again AGB Phenomenon
Low-Mass Stars in a Binary System
Mass Transfer across the Roche Equipotential Surface
Cataclysmic Variables
Type Ia Thermonuclear Explosion Supernova
Section 3.7 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.7 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.7 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.8 Evolution of High-Mass Stars
Pre-Main Sequence and Main-Sequence Evolution
Post-Main Sequence Evolution
Carbon Burning
Neon Burning
Oxygen Burning
Silicon Burning
Surface Instabilities and Pulsation
Cepheids: The Standard Candles of the Universe
Radiation-Driven Stellar Winds
Core Collapse Supernovae
Onset of Collapse
Core Collapse Supernova Explosions
Subtypes of Core Collapse Supernovae
Products of Core Collapse Supernovae: Neutron Star vs. Black Hole
Supernova Remnants
High Mass Stars in a Binary System
Section 3.8 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.8 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.8 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.9 Evolution of Star Clusters
Cluster Stellar Evolution
Section 3.9 Multiple Choice Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.9 Fill-in-the-Blanks Quiz
5 attempts allowed
Section 3.9 Short Answer Exercise
Section 3.10 Grand Summary: Life and Death of Stars, and their Roles
Glossary of Important Terms
Astrophysics for the Rest of Us: Physics of Stars
What does it really mean to “observe” a star? This course trains you to think like an observational astronomer, moving from intuition to first-principles reasoning about starlight and stellar matter. By following real observational clues and turning data into explanations, you will build a coherent picture of stellar physics.
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About the Course
Astrophysics is not just pretty pictures. What happens when we move beyond awe and begin asking why stars must behave the way they do?
Astrophysics for the Rest of Us: Physics of Stars invites you to explore stellar physics from first principles — not as a catalog of disconnected facts, but as a logical unfolding of what must happen when light and matter interact under the laws of physics.
We begin with a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to “see” a star? From there, we walk step by step through how physical information is extracted from starlight. From photons falling into telescopes to the atomic fingerprints embedded in spectra, you will learn how observations become quantitative constraints on stellar temperature, composition, internal structure, and energy transport.
This course doesn’t assume you are a physicist. What it assumes is that you are curious, thoughtful, and willing to slow down and reason carefully. We emphasize conceptual understanding, plain language, and building physical intuition from the ground up. You will step into the role of astronomers, grapple with real stellar puzzles, and develop a deep, working understanding of how stellar astrophysics actually works.
Whether you are preparing for more advanced coursework, teaching others, or simply seeking a clearer understanding of stars for yourself, this is your starting point.
Note: This material is intended as a required resource for a college course.
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