Solar models and electron screening

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
² Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
³ Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Dr., Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
⁴ Dept. of Theoretical Physics, General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Corresponding author: A. Weiss, weiss@mpa-garching.mpg.de

Received: 14 December 2000
Accepted: 6 February 2001

Abstract

We investigate the sensitivity of the solar model to changes in the nuclear reaction screening factors. We show that the sound speed profile as determined by helioseismology certainly rules out changes in the screening factors exceeding more than 10% . A slightly improved solar model could be obtained by enhancing screening by about 5% over the Salpeter value. We also discuss how envelope properties of the Sun depend on screening, too. We conclude that the solar model can be used to help settling the on-going dispute about the "correct"screening factors.