Paper 3, Section I, B

Cosmology
Part II, 2019

Consider a spherically symmetric distribution of mass with density ρ(r)\rho(r) at distance rr from the centre. Derive the pressure support equation that the pressure P(r)P(r) has to satisfy for the system to be in static equilibrium.

Assume now that the mass density obeys ρ(r)=Ar2P(r)\rho(r)=A r^{2} P(r), for some positive constant A. Determine whether or not the system has a stable solution corresponding to a star of finite radius.