Convection. If luminosity is transported by radiation, then it must obey

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1 Convection If luminosity is transported by radiation, then it must obey L r = 16πacr 2 T 3 3ρκ R In a steady state, the energy transported per time at radius r must be equal to the energy generation rate in the stellar interior. will be large if L is large κ R is large The temperature gradient cannot be arbitrarily large. If it gets too steep à convection takes over as the main mode of energy transport.

2 Uniform composition, Convection: Stability Criteria T ( r), ρ( r) profiles Displace a mass element by without exchanging heat with the environment (adiabatically). ρ( r + ), T ( r + ) ρ, T r + Element expands to maintain pressure balance with its environment. ρ Its new density and temperature will not in general equal the ambient values at. r + T r ρ( r), T ( r)

3 Convection: Stability Criteria Since the change is adiabatic: d ln P d ln ρ ad = Γ 1 ρ P dρ ( dρ) ad = ρ ( Γ 1 P ) ad ad = Γ 1 ρ = ρ( r) + ( dρ) ad = ρ( r) + ρ ( Γ 1 P ) ad = ρ( r) + ρ Γ 1 P Since pressure equilibrium applies: ad ad = ρ( r + ), T ( r + ) ρ, T r + r ρ( r), T ( r)

4 ( ) Convection: Stability Criteria If ρ > ρ r + : displaced element will be denser than its surroundings and will settle back down à STABILITY ( ) If ρ < ρ r + : buoyancy will cause element to rise further à INSTABILITY ρ( r + ), T ( r + ) ρ, T r + Stability criterion is: ρ( r) + ρ Γ 1 P ( ) ρ( r) ρ r + dρ < ρ Γ 1 P > ρ ( r + ) < ρ Γ 1 P r ρ( r), T ( r)

5 Convection: Stability Criteria Since the change is adiabatic: d ln P d lnt ad = Γ 2 Γ 2 1 T P ad ( ) ad = Γ 1 2 T ( Γ 2 P ) ad T = T ( r) + ( ) ad = Γ 2 Γ 2 1 ρ( r + ), T ( r + ) ρ, T r + = T r ( ) Γ 2 T P ( ) ad r = T r ( ) Γ 2 T P ρ( r), T ( r)

6 Convection: Stability Criteria ( ) If T < T r + : displaced element will be cooler than its surroundings and will settle back down à STABILITY ( ) If T > T r + : element will be hotter and thus rise à INSTABILITY ρ( r + ), T ( r + ) ρ, T r + Stability criterion is: ( ) Γ 2 T r T r + T P ( ) T ( r) > 1 1 T Γ 2 P < T ( r + ) > 1 1 T Γ 2 P r ρ( r), T ( r)

7 Convection: Stability Criteria Stability criterion is: > ad T unstable ambient < ad r stable Too rapid a change in temperature à CONVECTION < 1 1 Γ 2 T P

8 Convection: Stability Criteria Convert to maximum luminosity that can be carried by radiation = 3ρκ L R r 16πacr 2 T 3 > 1 1 Γ 2 T P 3ρκ R L r 16πacr 2 T < Γ 2 T P = ρ Gm r 2 L r < 16πacG 1 1 3κ R Γ 2 T 4 m P If L exceeds this value à CONVECTION

9 Convection: Stability Criteria In an unstable region, displaced element is hotter than ambient gas à continues to rise Eventually, radiation will leak out of the rising gas element. à extra energy flux from hotter to cooler regions T T ( r) Actual gradient Adiabatic change r T T ( r + ) What causes convective instability in some regions of a star? L max κ R Γ 2 T 4 m P When L max is low à convection

10 Convection: Stability Criteria L max κ R Γ 2 m M T 4 P const L max κ R Γ 2 Near surface Vulnerable to convection if κ R is large Γ 2 1 T 4 m P Remember Γ 2 = 5 3 Occurs when there is a large contribution from atomic processes. Occurs in ionization zones where dips below 4/3 Γ 2 So, atomic processes + ionization zones à convection will happen In regions where T~ K and H is being ionized. Not in high mass stars

11 Convection: Stability Criteria Near center κ R is low Γ 2 is high L max T 4 m κ R Γ 2 P L max m Vulnerable to convection if there is a large luminosity at low mass. This happens when nuclear energy generation is a very strong function of T. CNO in massive stars.

12 Convection Zero-age main sequence stars log M M Massive star 0 Sun center m M surface

13 Convection Very low mass Main sequence Fully convective Low mass Main sequence High mass Main sequence White dwarfs Radiative core Convective surface Convective core Radiative surface Conductive

14 Convection

15 Convection Convection is incredibly difficult to model accurately because fluid motions are very complicated. It is a 3D problem.

16 Convection Convection is incredibly difficult to model accurately because fluid motions are very complicated. It is a 3D problem.

17 Convection Convection is incredibly difficult to model accurately because fluid motions are very complicated. It is a 3D problem.

18 Convection: Energy Flux No reliable analytic way to compute Lab experiments with fluids are not relevant incompressible too viscous boundaries Hyodynamic simulations are challenging Empirical simple model for spherically symmetric stellar models: Mixing Length Theory

19 Convection: Mixing Length Theory 1 parameter: length of mixing Each mass element rises or falls a distance l adiabatically After one mixing length, The element thermalizes with the local environment. l

20 Convection: Mixing Length Theory l should scale with the pressure scale height λ P = P l = α λ P 1 (length over which pressure changes by 100%) α : free parameter ( α = 1.6 ± 0.1) After rising adiabatically by a distance l, the mass element will be hotter than its surrounding gas by ΔT = ad l l Δ T r T ad

21 Convection: Mixing Length Theory If the mass element thermalizes at constant pressure, the amount of heat per unit mass released is ΔQ = c P ΔT = c P lδ T If the average velocity of the mass element is excess heat flux is v, the average F conv = ρvδq = ρvc P lδ T heat mass mass volume length time = heat area time The mass element is accelerated due to buoyancy ( ρ < ρ ambient ) Δρ = dρ dρ ad l lδ ρ Δρ = 1 2 lδ ρ

22 Convection: Mixing Length Theory The average buoyant force per unit volume is F = g Δρ = 1 2 glδ ρ where g = Gm r 2 The resulting acceleration is a = F ρ If the mass element starts at rest and has a constant acceleration v = a t t = l v = = gl 2ρ Δ ρ l 1 2 v = 2l v = Gml 2ρr 2 Δ ρ v = ( 2al) 1 2 v = 1 2 ( 2al 2 )1 v = l 2 Gm ρr Δ ρ 2 1 2

23 F conv = l 2 Convection: Mixing Length Theory F conv = ρvc P lδ T v = l 2 Gm ρr Δ ρ ρc P lδ T Gm ρr Δ ρ Δ ρ dρ dρ ad ρ T ad ρ T Δ T F conv = l 2 Gm ρ ρr 2 T Δ T 1 2 ρc P lδ T F conv = l 2 2 c Pρ Gm Tr ( Δ T ) 3 2

24 Convection: Mixing Length Theory How large an excess T gradient is needed to carry luminosity? ( Δ T ) 3 2 = L r 4πr 2 l 2 2 c Pρ Gm Tr = L r 2πl 2 c P ρr( Gm T ) 1 2 e.g., at m M = 0.5, l = λ P = cm, solar values for T, ρ,r, L r,c P Δ T Kcm 1 T c R 10 4 Kcm 1 Requires an excess of only ~10-6 of the temperature gradient!

25 Convection: Mixing Length Theory When convection occurs in stellar interiors, the resulting temperature gradient equals the adiabatic gradient. = ad 1 1 Γ 2 + Δ T T P T radiative stable T gradient convective instability r If composition changes with radius, this may be different. e.g., if µ ops with r à heavier material is displaced into lighter material à greater stability. Nuclear burning à stabilizing

26 Convection: Mixing Length Theory When convection is efficient, the exact value of the mixing length does not matter. l λ P Δ T Near surface, is small à larger is needed. Stellar radius R, surface T, etc. depend on α α x2 change in à few huned K difference in T eff.

27 Convection: Mixing Length Theory Convective Overshooting Do convective elements overshoot into stable regions due to inertia? convective zone Naively: No because acceleration is small and braking is large in stable zone. Simulations: Overshooting extends to significant fraction of λ P radiative zone Alternative to Mixing Length model Full spectrum of turbulence Turbulent processes involve a range of length scales. It is unclear if this works better than the one-parameter model.