# Solution Method¶

## Specification¶

The structure of a composite polytrope is specified completely by

• a set of $$\nreg$$ polytropic indices $$n_{i}$$

• a set of $$\nreg-1$$ boundary coordinates $$z_{i-1/2}$$

• a set of $$\nreg$$ density jumps $$\Delta_{i-1/2} \equiv \ln [\rho_{i}(z_{i-1/2})/\rho_{i-1}(z_{i-1/2}]$$

Although the normalizing densities $$\rho_{i,0}$$ have so far been left unspecified, it’s convenient to choose them as the density at the beginning of their respective regions.

## Solution¶

The structure equations may be solved as an initial value problem. In the first region ($$i=1$$) this IVP involves integrating the Lane-Emden equation (12) from the center $$z=0$$ to the first boundary $$z=z_{3/2}$$, with the initial conditions

$\begin{split}\left. \begin{gathered} \theta_{i} = 1, \\ \theta'_{i} = 0, \\ B_{1} = 1, \\ t_{1} = 1 \end{gathered} \right\} \quad \text{at}\ z=0\end{split}$

(here, $$t_{i} \equiv \rho_{i,0}/\rho_{1,0}$$).

The IVP in the intermediate regions ($$i = 2,\ldots,\nreg-1$$) involves integrating from $$z=z_{i-1/2}$$ to $$z=z_{i+1/2}$$, with initial conditions established from the preceding region via

$\begin{split}\left. \begin{gathered} \theta_{i} = 1, \\ \theta'_{i} = \frac{n_{i-1} + 1}{n_{i} + 1} \frac{\theta_{i-1}^{n_{i-1}+1}}{\theta_{i}^{n_{i}+1}} \frac{t_{i}}{t_{i-1}} \, \theta'_{i-1}, \\ B_{i} = \frac{n_{i-1} + 1}{n_{i} + 1} \frac{\theta_{i}^{n_{i}+1}}{\theta_{i-1}^{n_{i-1}+1}} \frac{t_{i}^{2}}{t_{i-1}^{2}} \, B_{i-1}, \\ \ln t_{i} = \ln t_{i-1} + n_{i-1} \ln \theta_{i-1} - n_{i} \ln \theta_{i} + \Delta_{i-1/2}. \end{gathered} \right\} \quad \text{at}\ z=z_{i-1/2}\end{split}$

The IVP in the final region ($$i=\nreg$$) involves integrating from $$z_{\nreg-1/2}$$ until $$\theta_{\nreg} = 0$$. This point defines the stellar surface, $$z=z_{\rm s}$$. For some choices of $$n_{i}$$, $$z_{i-1/2}$$ and/or $$\Delta_{i-1/2}$$, the point $$\theta=0$$ can arise in an earlier region $$i = \nreg_{\rm t} < \nreg$$; in such cases, the model specification must be truncated to $$\nreg_{\rm t}$$ regions.