Issue |
A&A
Volume 553, May 2013
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A1 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
Section | Astrophysical processes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201220936 | |
Published online | 18 April 2013 |
The thermohaline, Richardson, Rayleigh-Taylor, Solberg–Høiland, and GSF criteria in rotating stars
1
Geneva Observatory, Geneva University, 1290
Sauverny,
Switzerland
e-mail: andre.maeder;georges.meynet@unige.ch; corinne.charbonnel@unige.ch
2
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2TT,
UK
e-mail: lagarde@bison.ph.bham.ac.uk
3
IRAP, CNRS UMR 5277, Univ. de Toulouse, 14 Av. E. Belin,
31400
Toulouse,
France
Received:
17
December
2012
Accepted:
11
March
2013
Aims. We examine the interactions of various instabilities in rotating stars, which usually are considered as independent.
Methods. An analytical study of the problem is performed accounting for radiative losses, μ-gradients, and horizontal turbulence.
Results. The diffusion coefficient for an ensemble of instabilities is not given by the sum of the specific coefficients for each instability, but by the solution of a general equation. We find that thermohaline mixing is possible in low-mass red giants only if the horizontal turbulence is very weak. In rotating stars the Rayleigh-Taylor and the shear instabilities need simultaneous treating. This leads to rotation laws of the form 1/rα being predicted to be unstable for α > 1.6568, while the usual Rayleigh criterion only predicts instability for α > 2. Also, the shear instabilities are somehow reduced in main sequence stars by the effect of the Rayleigh-Taylor criterion. Various instability criteria should be expressed differently in rotating stars than in simplified geometries.
Key words: convection / hydrodynamics / instabilities / turbulence
© ESO, 2013
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.