On the Chemical Mixing Induced by Internal Gravity Waves

T. M. Rogers, J. N. McElwaine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Detailed modeling of stellar evolution requires a better understanding of the (magneto)hydrodynamic processes that mix chemical elements and transport angular momentum. Understanding these processes is crucial if we are to accurately interpret observations of chemical abundance anomalies, surface rotation measurements, and asteroseismic data. Here, we use two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the generation and propagation of internal gravity waves in an intermediate-mass star to measure the chemical mixing induced by these waves. We show that such mixing can generally be treated as a diffusive process. We then show that the local diffusion coefficient does not depend on the local fluid velocity, but rather on the wave amplitude. We then use these findings to provide a simple parameterization for this diffusion, which can be incorporated into stellar evolution codes and tested against observations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL1
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume848
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 10 2017

Keywords

  • hydrodynamics
  • stars: general
  • waves

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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