No Arabic abstract
Using reconstructed opacities, we construct solar models with low heavy-element abundance. Rotational mixing and enhanced diffusion of helium and heavy elements are used to reconcile the recently observed abundances with helioseismology. The sound speed and density of models where the relative and absolute diffusion coefficients for helium and heavy elements have been increased agree with seismically inferred values at better than the 0.005 and 0.02 fractional level respectively. However, the surface helium abundance of the enhanced diffusion model is too low. The low helium problem in the enhanced diffusion model can be solved to a great extent by rotational mixing. The surface helium and the convection zone depth of rotating model M04R3, which has a surface Z of 0.0154, agree with the seismic results at the levels of 1 $sigma$ and 3 $sigma$ respectively. M04R3 is almost as good as the standard model M98. Some discrepancies between the models constructed in accord with the new element abundances and seismic constraints can be solved individually, but it seems difficult to resolve them as a whole scenario.
Recent three-dimensional, NLTE analyses of the solar spectrum have shown a significant reduction in the C, N, O and Ne abundances leading to a Z/X ratio of the order of 0.0177. We have computed solar models with this new mixture in the OPAL opacity tables. The present He abundance we find seems rather consistent with the helioseismic value. However, the convective envelope is too shallow, and diffusion, even if it reduces the discrepancy, is not able to give the current value. We present some numerical experiments consisting in changing the diffusion velocities and/or the value of opacity at the base of the convective envelope.
We construct solar models with the newly calculated radiative opacities from the Opacity Project (OP) and recently determined (lower) heavy element abundances. We compare results from the new models with predictions of a series of models that use OPAL radiative opacities, older determinations of the surface heavy element abundances, and refinements of nuclear reaction rates. For all the variations we consider, solar models that are constructed with the newer and lower heavy element abundances advocated by Asplund et al. (2005) disagree by much more than the estimated measuring errors with helioseismological determinations of the depth of the solar convective zone, the surface helium composition, the internal sound speeds, and the density profile. Using the new OP radiative opacities, the ratio of the 8B neutrino flux calculated with the older and larger heavy element abundances (or with the newer and lower heavy element abundances) to the total neutrino flux measured by the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is 1.09 (0.87) with a 9% experimental uncertainty and a 16% theoretical uncertainty, 1 sigma errors.
In the last decade, the photospheric abundances of the Sun had been revised several times by many observers. The standard solar models (SSM) constructed with the new low-metal abundances disagree with helioseismic results and detected neutrino fluxes. The solar model problem has been puzzled some stellar physicists for more than ten years. Rotation, enhanced diffusion, convection overshoot, and magnetic fields are used to reconcile the new abundances with helioseismology. The textbf{too} low-helium textbf{subsurface abundance} in enhanced diffusion models can be improved by the mixing caused by rotation and magnetic fields. The problem of the depth of the convective zone in rotating models can be resolved by convection overshoot. Consequently the Asplund-Grevesse-Sauval rotation model including overshooting (AGSR) reproduces the seismically inferred sound-speed and density profiles, and the convection zone depth as well as the Grevesse and Sauval (GS98) model computed before. But this model fails to reproduce the surface helium abundance which is 0.2393 ($2.6$ $sigma$ away from the seismic value) and neutrino fluxes. The magnetic model called AGSM keeps the agreement of the AGSR and improves the prediction of the surface helium abundance. The observed separation ratios $r_{02}$ and $r_{13}$ are reasonably reproduced by AGSM. Moreover, neutrino fluxes calculated by this model are not far from the detected neutrino fluxes and the predictions of previous works.
Los Alamos National Laboratory has calculated a new generation of radiative opacities (OPLIB data using the ATOMIC code) for elements with atomic number Z=1-30 with improved physics input, updated atomic data, and finer temperature grid to replace the Los Alamos LEDCOP opacities released in the year 2000. We calculate the evolution of standard solar models including these new opacities, and compare with models evolved using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory OPAL (Iglesias and Rogers 1996) opacities. We use the solar abundance mixture of Asplund et al. (2009). The new Los Alamos ATOMIC opacities have steeper opacity derivatives than those of OPAL for temperatures and densities of the solar interior radiative zone. We compare the calculated nonadiabatic solar oscillation frequencies and solar interior sound speed to observed frequencies and helioseismic inferences. The calculated sound-speed profiles are similar for models evolved using either the updated Iben evolution code (see cite{Guzik2010}), or the MESA evolution code (Paxton et al., 2015). The LANL ATOMIC opacities partially mitigate the solar abundance problem.
Using previous measurements and quantum chemical calculations to derive the molecular properties of the TiH molecule, we obtain new values for its ro-vibrational constants, thermochemical data, spectral line lists, line strengths, and absorption opacities. Furthermore, we calculate the abundance of TiH in M and L dwarf atmospheres and conclude that it is much higher than previously thought. We find that the TiH/TiO ratio increases strongly with decreasing metallicity, and at high temperatures can exceed unity. We suggest that, particularly for subdwarf L and M dwarfs, spectral features of TiH near $sim$0.52 mic, 0.94 mic, and in the $H$ band may be more easily measureable than heretofore thought. The recent possible identification in the L subdwarf 2MASS J0532 of the 0.94 mic feature of TiH is in keeping with this expectation. We speculate that looking for TiH in other dwarfs and subdwarfs will shed light on the distinctive titanium chemistry of the atmospheres of substellar-mass objects and the dimmest stars.