Elementarisierungen zum inneren Aufbau von Sternen und zur Sternentwicklung

The aim of this thesis is to provide an elementary learning offer on the subject of the inner structure of stars and stellar evolution, which is aimed at physics teacher students in their undergraduate studies, as well as physics students in their bachelor's degree and at learners in upper grammar schools.
In order to legitimize the topic, the current state of astronomy in general is analyzed in school and university classes and especially the occupation with the stellar structure and evolution. The focus of the present work is on the development of the learning modules. The development of a basic physical understanding of the inner structure of the stars is in the focus, not to make precise predictions by model calculations or to present a complete theory. In addition, epistemological considerations of the scientists are included, who have decisively evolved the theory of the internal structure of the stars, as well as the scientific methods from the field of theoretical astrophysics, so that this work clearly goes beyond the phenomenological level. Mean values and magnitudes of important state variables such as pressure and temperature are determined for our central star and general correlations between the state variables for stars in the main sequence stage are derived. Differential equations are used to describe the progression of state variables from the center to the surface and the necessity of this consideration is clarified. The differential equations will be analyzed and solved with numerical methods.
The learning offer is divided into four learning modules which are based on each other and are based on milestones of the historical development of the theory of the inner structure of stars and the research questions prevailing at the respective times. At the same time, epistemological considerations are included in order to give learners a profound understanding of the star models. In the modules, it is always clear why the model under consideration has been further developed from a professional and historical perspective. Except for the last module, each module begins with epistemological considerations and a scientific-historical classification. From this, basic statements are extracted and simple estimates are made. Subsequently, detailed analyses of the course of state variables are carried out. These are obtained in a simple way in order to address a broad target group. At this point, a meaningful use of computers is also presented. The insights from the learning modules are modelled with various tools and further developed and refined from module to module. In this work, Microsoft Excel and the modelling software CMA Coach 6.0 are used, but the results can also be easily generated with free alternative programs. Thus it is guaranteed that a large circle of users is addressed, since no additional software must be installed or bought at all. This is also the reason why special software is not used. The learning modules have already been tested and positively accepted in a course on astrophysics. However, a complete empirical study has not yet been carried out.