Fractional Stars

Abstract

This study examines the possibility of starting the process of collapsing and forming stars from a fractional molecular cloud. Although the Verlinde's approach is employed to derive the corresponding gravitational potential, the results are easily generalizable to other gravitational potential proposals for fractional systems. It is due to the fact that the different methods, despite the difference in the details of results, all obtain power forms for the potential in terms of radius. An essential result of this analysis is the derivation of the corresponding Jeans mass limit, which is a crucial parameter in understanding the formation of stars. The study shows that the Jeans mass of a cloud in fractional gravity is much smaller than the traditional value. In addition, the study also determines the burning temperature of the resulting star using the Gamow theory. This calculation provides insight into the complex processes that govern the evolution of these celestial bodies. Finally, the study briefly discusses the investigation of hydrostatic equilibrium, a crucial condition that ensures the stability of these fractional stars. It also addresses the corresponding Lane--Emden equation, which is pivotal in understanding this equilibrium.