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Astrophysics > Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

arXiv:1303.4522 (astro-ph)
[Submitted on 19 Mar 2013]

Title:Semiconvection: numerical simulations

Authors:F. Zaussinger, H. Spruit
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Abstract:A grid of numerical simulations of double-diffusive convection is presented for the astrophysical case where viscosity (Prandtl number Pr) and solute diffusivity (Lewis number Le) are much smaller than the thermal diffusivity. As in laboratory and geophysical cases convection takes place in a layered form. The proper translation between subsonic flows in a stellar interior and an incompressible (Boussinesq) fluid is given, and the validity of the Boussinesq approximation for the semiconvection problem is checked by comparison with fully compressible simulations. The predictions of a simplified theory of mixing in semiconvection given in a companion paper are tested against the numerical results, and used to extrapolate these to astrophysical conditions. The predicted effective He-diffusion coefficient is nearly independent of the double-diffusive layering thickness $d$. For a fiducial main sequence model (15 $M_\odot$) the inferred mixing time scale is of the order $10^{10}$ yr. An estimate for the secular increase of $d$ during the semiconvective phase is given. It can potentially reach a significant fraction of a pressure scale height.
Comments: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1012.5851
Subjects: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Cite as: arXiv:1303.4522 [astro-ph.SR]
  (or arXiv:1303.4522v1 [astro-ph.SR] for this version)
  https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1303.4522
Related DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201220573

Submission history

From: Florian Zaussinger [view email]
[v1] Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:26:00 UTC (870 KB)
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