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Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-85331-6 — Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Cathie Clarke , Bob Carswell
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Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
Fluid dynamical forces drive most of the fundamental processes in the

Universe and so play a crucial role in our understanding of astrophysics.
This comprehensive textbook introduces the fluid dynamics necessary to
understand a wide range of astronomical phenomena, from stellar structures
to supernovae blast waves, to accretion discs.
The authors’ approach is to introduce and derive the fundamental
equations, supplemented by text that conveys a more intuitive understand-
ing of the subject, and to emphasise the observable phenomena that rely
on fluid dynamical processes. It has been developed for use by final year
undergraduate and starting graduate students of astrophysics, based on the
authors’ many years of teaching their astrophysical fluid dynamics course
at the University of Cambridge. The book contains over 50 exercises.
Cathie Clarke is Reader in Theoretical Astrophysics at the University

of Cambridge and Director of Studies in Astrophysics at Clare College.
She developed the original course in astrophysical fluid dynamics as part
of Part II Astrophysics in 1996 and delivered the course 1996–9. Her
research is based on accretion disc theory and star formation (both of
which are strongly based on fluid dynamics). She has taught extensively
within the University of Cambridge, having also delivered lecture courses
in statistical physics, mathematical methods and galactic dynamics, and
has supervised for a variety of courses within the Natural Sciences and
Mathematics Triposes.
Bob Carswell is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.

He lectured the Part II Astrophysics course on astrophysical fluid dynam-
ics 2000–3, and developed the course notes to reflect a revised syllabus
to include accretion discs and some MHD concepts. He has also given
courses in relativity to both third-year and fourth-year undergraduates, as
well as specialist courses on gaseous nebulae at the postgraduate level.
His research relates to quasars, the intergalactic medium, and large-scale
structure.
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Principles of Astrophysical
Fluid Dynamics Cathie Clarke and
Bob Carswell
University of Cambridge

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University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom

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It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education,
learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521853316
© C. Clarke and R. Carswell 2007
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2007
First paperback edition (with corrections) 2014
Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-521-85331-6 Hardback
ISBN 978-1-107-66691-7 Paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or
accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in
this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

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Contents
Preface page ix
1 Introduction to concepts 1
1.1 Fluids in the Universe 2
1.2 The concept of a ‘fluid element’ 4
1.3 Formulation of the fluid equations 5
1.4 Relation between the Eulerian and Lagrangian
descriptions 7
1.5 Kinematical concepts 8
2 The fluid equations 12

2.1 Conservation of mass 12
2.2 Pressure 14
2.3 Momentum equations 15
2.4 Momentum equation in conservative form: the
stress tensor and concept of ram pressure 17
3 Gravitation 20
3.1 The gravitational potential 20
3.2 Poisson’s equation 22
3.3 Using Poisson’s equation 24
3.4 The potential associated with a spherical mass
distribution 27
3.5 Gravitational potential energy 28
3.6 The virial theorem 30
4 The energy equation 32

4.1 Ideal gases 32
4.2 Barotropic equations of state: the isothermal
and adiabatic cases 33
4.3 Energy equation 37
4.4 Energy transport 39
4.5 The form of Q̇cool 45

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vi Contents
5 Hydrostatic equilibrium 46
5.1 Basic equations 46
5.2 The isothermal slab 47
5.3 An isothermal atmosphere with constant g 49
5.4 Stars as self-gravitating polytropes 50
5.5 Solutions for the Lane–Emden equation 52
5.6 The case of n = 55
5.7 Scaling relations 56
5.8 Examples of astrophysical interest 60
5.9 Summary: general method for scaling relations 62
6 Propagation of sound waves 63

6.1 Sound waves in a uniform medium 63
6.2 Propagation of sound waves in a stratified
atmosphere 68
6.3 General approach to wave propagation
problems 73
6.4 Transmission of sound waves at interfaces 74
7 Supersonic flows 77
7.1 Shocks 78
7.2 Isothermal shocks 85
8 Blast waves 89
8.1 Strong explosions in uniform atmospheres 89
8.2 Blast waves in astrophysics and elsewhere 96
8.3 Structure of the blast wave 98
8.4 Breakdown of the similarity solution 102
8.5 The effects of cooling and blowout from
galactic disks 104
9 Bernoulli’s equation 107

9.1 Basic equation 107
9.2 De Laval nozzle 113
9.3 Spherical accretion and winds 118
9.4 Stellar winds 123
9.5 General steady state solutions 126
10 Fluid instabilities 128

10.1 Convective instability 128
10.2 Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities 133

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Contents vii
10.3 Gravitational instability ( Jeans instability) 139

10.4 Thermal instability 142
10.5 Method summary 149
11 Viscous flows 150

11.1 Linear shear and viscosity 150
11.2 Navier–Stokes equation 153
11.3 Evolution of vorticity in viscous flows 157
11.4 Energy dissipation in incompressible viscous flows 158
11.5 Viscous flow through a circular pipe and the
transition to turbulence 159
12 Accretion discs in astrophysics 163

12.1 Derivation of viscous evolution equations for
accretion discs 165
12.2 Viscous evolution equation with constant viscosity 167
12.3 Steady thin discs 173
12.4 Radiation from steady thin discs 176
13 Plasmas 179
13.1 Magnetohydrodynamic equations 180
13.2 Simplifying the magnetohydrodynamic equations 183
13.3 Charge neutrality 184
13.4 The induction equation and flux freezing
approximation 186
13.5 The dynamical effects of magnetic fields 188
13.6 Summary 189
13.7 Waves in Plasmas 190
13.8 The Rayleigh-Taylor Instability revisited 194
Appendix Equations in curvilinear coordinates 200
Exercises 206
Books for background and further reading 222
Index 224

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Preface
The material in this book is based on lecture notes of a course on

astrophysical fluid dynamics which has been given for several years to
third-year students at the University of Cambridge. There are several
excellent books which cover fluid dynamics from a terrestrial stand-
point, but very few provide a full introduction to the concepts and
methods used to deal with the highly compressible flows which arise
in astrophysical contexts. Our aim with this book is to provide just
such an introduction, and we hope that it will also serve as a reference
volume for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
Several people have provided input at various stages of the prepa-
ration of this book. In particular we thank Jim Pringle, Donald Lynden-
Bell and Giuseppe Lodato for their help. We are also grateful to the
students who have taken the course at Cambridge for correcting typo-
graphical errors in the lecture notes, drawing our attention to parts
where the description was less clear than it should have been, and
helping us to develop the exercises.
ix

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Cambridge University Press

978-0-521-85331-6 — Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Fluid dynamical forces drive most of the fundamental processes in the

Cathie Clarke is Reader in Theoretical Astrophysics at the University

Bob Carswell is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom

Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

2 The fluid equations 12

4 The energy equation 32

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

6 Propagation of sound waves 63

9 Bernoulli’s equation 107

10 Fluid instabilities 128

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

10.3 Gravitational instability ( Jeans instability) 139

11 Viscous ﬂows 150

12 Accretion discs in astrophysics 163

Appendix Equations in curvilinear coordinates 200

Books for background and further reading 222

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

The material in this book is based on lecture notes of a course on

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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