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arXiv 1108.4433astro-ph.SR
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偏离中心点火后在壳层对流区下运行的一个新的恒星混合过程

A new stellar mixing process operating below shell convection zones following off-center ignition

M. Mocák, Casey A. Meakin, E. Müller, L. Siess

摘要:

在恒星演化的大多数阶段中,轻元素向重元素的核燃烧导致了一个径向成分剖面,该剖面在浮力加速度下保持稳定,轻物质位于重物质之上。然而,在某些情况下,如偏心点火,由核燃烧产生的组成分布可能是不稳定的,其特征在于平均分子量向外增加。在这种情况下,不稳定性的可能性,以及它们可能对恒星结构演化产生的后果,在很大程度上仍未被探索。本文研究了根据线性史瓦西和勒杜准则初始稳定的区域中与不稳定成分梯度相关的不稳定性的发展和演变。特别是,我们探讨了混合发生在各种条件下的多维流体动力学对流模型的基础上恒星的演化计算的核心氦闪光在1.25 \Msun星,核心碳闪光在9.3\,\Msun星,和氧壳燃烧的质量为23\,\Msun星。我们的模拟结果揭示了一个混合过程与区域具有向外增加的平均分子量,位于对流区以下。混合不是由于对流区的过冲,也不是直接由于温盐混合,其在比模拟流量大几个数量级的时间尺度上操作。相反,混合似乎是由于存在的波场引起的稳定层下面的对流区,这提高了混合速率的许多数量级,并允许温盐型混合过程中操作的动态,而不是热,时间尺度。我们讨论了我们的结果在相关的实验室现象和相关的理论发展。

英文摘要:

During most stages of stellar evolution the nuclear burning of lighter to heavier elements results in a radial composition profile which is stabilizing against buoyant acceleration, with light material residing above heavier material. However, under some circumstances, such as off-center ignition, the composition profile resulting from nuclear burning can be destabilizing, and characterized by an outwardly increasing mean molecular weight. The potential for instabilities under these circumstances, and the consequences that they may have on stellar structural evolution, remain largely unexplored. In this paper we study the development and evolution of instabilities associated with unstable composition gradients in regions which are initially stable according to linear Schwarzschild and Ledoux criteria. In particular, we explore the mixing taking place under various conditions with multi-dimensional hydrodynamic convection models based on stellar evolutionary calculations of the core helium flash in a 1.25 \Msun star, the core carbon flash in a 9.3\,\Msun star, and of oxygen shell burning in a star with a mass of 23\,\Msun. The results of our simulations reveal a mixing process associated with regions having outwardly increasing mean molecular weight that reside below convection zones. The mixing is not due to overshooting from the convection zone, nor is it due directly to thermohaline mixing which operates on a timescale several orders of magnitude larger than the simulated flows. Instead, the mixing appears to be due to the presence of a wave field induced in the stable layers residing beneath the convection zone which enhances the mixing rate by many orders of magnitude and allows a thermohaline type mixing process to operate on a dynamical, rather than thermal, timescale. We discuss our results in terms of related laboratory phenomena and associated theoretical developments.

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