Topic summary
Theoretical astrophysics
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Astrophysics.
Theoretical astrophysics
Theoretical astrophysicists use a wide variety of tools which include analytical models (for example, polytropes to approximate the behaviors of a star) and computationalnumerical simulations. Each has some advantages. Analytical models of a process are generally better for giving insight into the heart of what is going on. Numerical models can reveal the existence of phenomena and effects that would otherwise not be seen.