Bibcode
DOI
Garcia Lopez, Ramon J.; Spruit, Hendrik C.
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 377, Aug. 10, 1991, p. 268-277. Research supported by DFG.
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8
1991
Journal
Citations
176
Refereed citations
134
Description
It is argued that internal gravity waves generated by the convective
envelope of a star may be effective in producing a weak mixing in its
radiative interior. The spectrum of wavelengths and frequencies
generated is estimated. Only the largest horizontal wavelengths and the
lowest frequencies contribute significantly to the wave energy flux and
the mixing at the Li-burning depth. At this layer, the combination of
the dependence on spectral type, both for the wave energy flux and the
shear rate induced by the waves, would produce a distribution of Li
abundances similar to that of the Li gap found among F-type stars of
several open clusters, and the field. Quantitative agreement with the
observed location and time scale of the gap is obtained, but only by
increasing the intensity of the waves generated by a factor 15 above
straightforward mixing-length estimates. The ratio of mixing length to
scale height needed to get the gap in the right spectral range is 1.6.
The blue edge of the gap is predicted to be sharp.