Stellar physics

What happens inside a star?

In Exeter, we study the physical and evolutionary properties of stars of various masses. Our activities focus on the development of numerical models including the most appropriate physics (like thermodynamics, energy transport and opacity properties of matter) and describing hydrodynamic processes.

We are currently developing a time implicit, multi-dimensional hydrodynamic code in order to study various processes characteristic of stellar fluid dynamics (e.g. turbulence, convection, rotation, oscillations).

Such models predict fundamental stellar properties which can be compared to observational data obtained with telescopes. The main motivation is to test fundamental physics in astrophysical "laboratories" and to provide the best theoretical foundation to analyse the outcome of observational programs. This field of research is based on strong interaction with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Our research interests include: