Similarity theory of stellar models and structure of very massive stars

Abstract

The similarity theory of stellar structure is used to study the properties of very massive stars when one can neglect all the sources of opacity except for the Thomson scattering. The dimensionless internal structure of such stars is practically independent of the energy generation law. It is shown that the mass-luminosity relation can be approximated by an analytical expression which is virtually universal regarding the chemical composition and energy generation law. A detailed comparison with the Eddington standard model is given. The application of the obtained results to the observations of massive stars is briefly discussed.