High Energy Astrophysics -
Spring
2010
Homework #6 - due April 1
1. Derive equations for the ratio of pressures and temperatures at a
shock front.
2. If the temperature of a 2000 year old SNR is 107 K and
the shock speed is 2,000 km/s, what will the temperature and shock
speed be when the SNR is 5000 years old?
3. Suppose there are N electrons and N protons in a star of radius
R. Derive the Chandrasekhar limit for this star assuming that the
density is uniform throughout the star and estimating the Fermi energy
of the electrons using Heisenberg's uncertainty principle taking the
confinement length to be Delta x = (number density)^(-1/3).