Virial energy of an isolated ideal-gas star
For a Newtonian hydrostatic spherical star with negligible surface pressure and classical monatomic ideal-gas support, integrating pressure balance gives 2U_th+W=0, where W is gravitational binding energy.
Key knowledge
For a Newtonian hydrostatic spherical star with negligible surface pressure and classical monatomic ideal-gas support, integrating pressure balance gives 2U_th+W=0, where W is gravitational binding energy. Thus total energy is W/2=−U_th. Along such equilibria, loss of total energy can increase internal thermal energy as the object contracts.
Values and equations
2U_th+W=0; E=U_th+W=W/2=−U_th
- U_th,W,E
- thermal internal, gravitational binding and total energy J
Conditions and scope
- The thermal internal energy is3∫P dV/2 under these specific gas assumptions; include surface, radiation, degeneracy, magnetic and other terms when significant.
- This equilibrium relation does not assert that every radiating star or arbitrary collapsing cloud has negative heat capacity in every operational sense.
Sources · 1
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
Evidence and review
Read the integration-by-parts stellar derivation211–219. Retained its bounded ideal-gas relation; excluded the factor-deficient general moment-of-inertia formula208, wrong general power-law coefficient210 and the blanket Hawking/gravitational-system extension.
2026-10-10 · Independent AI editorial review: All44 exact root-authored compact records, equations/variable units/conditions and140 origin edges accepted after independently reading final6/18 with bounded primary bodies and matching prior38/122 scientific fingerprints unchanged. Exact claim/edge review is distinct from combined inventory scope and separate CLE26 approval; no entire cited books or old-corpus experimental revalidation is asserted. Receipt: cosmos-completion-independent-content-and-inventory-review.1.
Entry details
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- uni-cosmos-stellar-virial-energy
- Revision
- core.1
- Structured reference record
- University core expansion