scholarly journals Stellar evolution with turbulent diffusion mixing in low mass stars and 12C/13C ratio in giants of the first ascending branch

1984 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 525-527
Author(s):  
O. Bienaymé ◽  
A. Maeder ◽  
E. Schatzman

We consider stellar evolution in low mass stars (1–3 Mo) near the main sequence with the hypothesis that mild turbulence is present within the all star. Turbulent transport of the elements is modeled by diffusion equations where the diffusion coefficient is chosen to be D = R✶eν where ν is the kinematical viscosity and R✶e is a Reynolds number. We consider the effects of the growth of the gradient of the mean molecular weight on turbulence. The main consequences of diffusion on stellar evolution are (1) an increase of the life time near the main sequence and (2) a change of the radial distributions of chemical species (12C, 13C, 14N, 160) (figure 1). The inhibition of the turbulence, when the gradient of mean molecular weight reaches a certain critical value, allows the evolution towards the red giant branch. When stars evolve towards the giant branch, chemical species are dredged up to the surface. At this stage models with and without diffusion, predict substantially different surface abundances (in particular the 12C/13C and C/N ratios). Comparison between models and the available data on giants during the first dredge-up show that abundance anomalies can be explained if turbulent mixing is present during the main sequence phase (figure 2).

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Stancliffe ◽  
Alessandro Chieffi ◽  
John C. Lattanzio ◽  
Ross P. Church

AbstractWe revisit the problem of why stars become red giants. We modify the physics of a standard stellar evolution code in order to determine what does and what does not contribute to a star becoming a red giant. In particular, we have run tests to try to separate the effects of changes in the mean molecular weight and in the energy generation. The implications for why stars become red giants are discussed. We find that while a change in the mean molecular weight is necessary (but not sufficient) for a 1-M⊙ star to become a red giant, this is not the case in a star of 5 M⊙. It therefore seems that there may be more than one way to make a giant.


1984 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 123-138
Author(s):  
R.D. Cannon

This review will attempt to do two things: (i) discuss some of the data which are available for testing the theory of evolution of low mass stars, and (ii) point out some problem areas where observations and theory do not seem to agree very well. This is of course too vast a field of research to be covered in one brief review, so I shall concentrate on one particular aspect, namely the study of star clusters and especially their colour-magnitude (CM) diagrams. Star clusters provide large samples of stars at the same distance and with the same age, and the CM diagram gives the easiest way of comparing theoretical predictions with observations, although crucial evidence is also provided by spectroscopic abundance analyses and studies of variable stars. Since this is primarily a review of observational data it is natural to divide it into two parts: (i) galactic globular clusters, and (ii) old and intermediate-age open clusters. Some additional evidence comes from Local Group galaxies, especially now that CM diagrams which reach the old main sequence are becoming available. For each class of cluster I shall consider successive stages of evolution from the main sequence, up the hydrogen-burning red giant branch, and through the helium-burning giant phase.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S302) ◽  
pp. 112-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz T. S. Mendes ◽  
Natália R. Landin ◽  
Luiz P. R. Vaz

AbstractWe report our present efforts for introducing magnetic fields in the ATON stellar evolution code code, which now evolved to truly modifying the stellar structure equations so that they can incorporate the effects of an imposed, large-scale magnetic field. Preliminary results of such an approach, as applied to low-mass stellar models, are presented and discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cuntz ◽  
W. von Bloh ◽  
K.-P. Schröder ◽  
C. Bounama ◽  
S. Franck

AbstractIn a previous study published in Astrobiology, we focused on the evolution of habitability of a 10 M⊕ super-Earth planet orbiting a star akin to the Sun. This study was based on a concept of planetary habitability in accordance with the integrated system approach that describes the photosynthetic biomass production taking into account a variety of climatological, biogeochemical and geodynamical processes. In the present study, we pursue a significant augmentation of our previous work by considering stars with zero-age main-sequence masses between 0.5 and 2.0 M⊙ with special emphasis on models of 0.8, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 M⊙. Our models of habitability consider geodynamical processes during the main-sequence stage of these stars as well as during their red giant branch evolution. Pertaining to the different types of stars, we identify the so-called photosynthesis-sustaining habitable zone (pHZ) determined by the limits of biological productivity on the planetary surface. We obtain various sets of solutions consistent with the principal possibility of life. Considering that stars of relatively high masses depart from the main-sequence much earlier than low-mass stars, it is found that the biospheric lifespan of super-Earth planets of stars with masses above approximately 1.5 M⊙ is always limited by the increase in stellar luminosity. However, for stars with masses below 0.9 M⊙, the lifespan of super-Earths is solely determined by the geodynamic timescale. For central star masses between 0.9 and 1.5 M⊙, the possibility of life in the framework of our models depends on the relative continental area of the super-Earth planet.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 361-371
Author(s):  
R. Ebert ◽  
H. Zinnecker

AbstractIn this paper we present a fully hydrodynamical treatment of the stationary isothermal accretion problem onto a moving gravitating point mass. The derivation is purely analytical. We find that the accretion rate is more than a factor of 50 higher than the accretion rate derived from the partially non-hydrodynamical treatment by Hoyle and Lyttleton (1939) or Bondi and Hoyle (1944). This result may have some bearing on the evolutionary tracks of young pre-Main Sequence stars still embedded in their parent protocluster cloud. We discuss the work by Federova (1979) who investigated the pre-Main Sequence evolution of degenerate low mass ‘stars’ with strong accretion of protocluster cloud material. We suggest that the stars which lie below the Main Sequence in young clusters could strongly accrete matter at the pre-Main Sequence stage.


1959 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
V. G. Fessenkov ◽  
G. M. Idlis

Considerations regarding the evolutionary path of the main sequence stars depend essentially on the theorem of Vogt-Russell. According to this theorem the structure of stars with thermonuclear sources of energy is determined uniquely by their masses and chemical composition, as characterised by the mean molecular weight X, Y, Z being the relative amounts of hydrogen, helium and of the mixture of the heavy elements.


2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Baraffe ◽  
Gilles Chabrier

Recently, an analysis of Gaia Data Release 2 revealed a gap in the mid-M dwarf main sequence. The authors suggested the feature is linked to the onset of full convection in M dwarfs. Following the announcement of this discovery, an explanation has been proposed based on standard stellar evolution models. In this paper we re-examine this explanation. We confirm that nuclear burning and mixing processes of 3He provide the best explanation for the observed feature. We also find that a change in the energy transport from convection to radiation does not induce structural changes that could be visible. Regarding the very details of the process, however, we disagree with the details of the published explanation and propose an alternative.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S283) ◽  
pp. 219-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Villaver

AbstractOver the last 20 years planetary searches have revealed a wealth of systems orbiting stars on the main sequence. Most of these low-mass stars eventually will evolve into the Giant phases before entering the planetary nebulae (PNe) stage. In the last years, the presence of planets has also been discovered around more massive evolved stars, mostly, along the Red Giant but also along the Horizontal Branch. Moreover, disks have been found around White Dwarfs presumably formed by tidally disrupted asteroids. In all, there is evidence that an evolved (ing) star might influence the survival of planets. In this review I will try to summarize such evidence but furthermore I will present the other side of the story, that is, how the presence of a planet might alter the evolution of stars and with that the PN formation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5940-5948 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Hekker ◽  
G C Angelou ◽  
Y Elsworth ◽  
S Basu

ABSTRACT The evolution of low-mass stars into red giants is still poorly understood. During this evolution the core of the star contracts and, simultaneously, the envelope expands – a process known as the ‘mirror’. Additionally, there is a short phase where the trend for increasing luminosity is reversed. This is known as the red giant branch bump. We explore the underlying physical reasons for these two phenomena by considering the specific entropy distribution in the star and its temporal changes. We find that between the luminosity maximum and luminosity minimum of the bump there is no mirror present and the star is fully contracting. The contraction is halted and the star regains its mirror when the hydrogen-burning shell reaches the mean molecular weight discontinuity. This marks the luminosity minimum of the bump.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S252) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cantiello ◽  
N. Langer

AbstractThermohaline mixing has recently been proposed to occur in low mass red giants, with large consequences for the chemical yields of low mass stars. We investigate the role of thermohaline mixing during the evolution of stars between 1 M⊙ and 3 M⊙, in comparison to other mixing processes acting in these stars. We confirm that thermohaline mixing has the potential to destroy most of the 3He which is produced earlier on the main sequence during the red giant stage. In our models we find that this process is working only in stars with initial mass M ≲ 1.5 M⊙. Moreover, we report that thermohaline mixing can be present during core helium burning and beyond in stars which still have a 3He reservoir. While rotational and magnetic mixing is negligible compared to the thermohaline mixing in the relevant layers, the interaction of thermohaline motions with differential rotation and magnetic fields may be essential to establish the time scale of thermohaline mixing in red giants.


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