Introduction (definition of a star, HR diagram), Sources of stellar energy, Time scales, Conservation laws, The equations of stellar evolution, Properties of matter and energy transport (equation of state, electron degeneracy pressure, radiation pressure, adiabatic index, radiative transfer), Nuclear reactions (pp chain, CNO cycle, burning of He and heavy elements, s-process, r-process), Nuclear reaction rates and Gamow peak, Equilibrium stellar configurations (equations of stellar structure, polytrope, Chandrasekhar limit, Eddington luminosity), The stability of stars (thermal instability in degenerate gas, thin shell instability, dynamic instability, convection), Stellar evolution in rho-T diagram, An evolution of the stellar core and a structure of the star, The pre-main-sequence phase in HR diagram (protocloud, Jeans instability, fragmentation, Hayashi track), Stellar evolution on the main sequence (lower and upper part of the main sequence, Schönberg–Chandrasekhar limit), Evolution away from main-sequence in HR diagram (Hertzsprung gap, red giants, helium flash, helium core burning, AGB stars), Final stages of stellar evolution (white dwarfs, supernovae, neutron stars, black holes).
Outcome:
Understanding the basics of the theory of stellar structure and evolution.
