2008/04/01 by M. Cantiello, N. Langer
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1743921308022540
6 pages, conference proceedings IAU Symposium 252 (Sanya)
openalex publication_date 2008/04/01 · arxiv created 2008/06/26 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract Thermohaline mixing has recently been proposed to occur in low mass red giants, with large consequences for the chemical yields of low mass stars. We investigate the role of thermohaline mixing during the evolution of stars between 1 M ⊙ and 3 M ⊙ , in comparison to other mixing processes acting in these stars. We confirm that thermohaline mixing has the potential to destroy most of the 3 He which is produced earlier on the main sequence during the red giant stage. In our models we find that this process is working only in stars with initial mass M ≲ 1.5 M ⊙ . Moreover, we report that thermohaline mixing can be present during core helium burning and beyond in stars which still have a 3 He reservoir. While rotational and magnetic mixing is negligible compared to the thermohaline mixing in the relevant layers, the interaction of thermohaline motions with differential rotation and magnetic fields may be essential to establish the time scale of thermohaline mixing in red giants.