NEW SOLAR COMPOSITION: THE PROBLEM WITH SOLAR MODELS REVISITED
Top Cited Papers
- 20 October 2009
- journal article
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal
- Vol. 705 (2), L123-L127
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/705/2/l123
Abstract
We construct updated solar models with different sets of solar abundances, including the most recent determinations by Asplund et al. The latter work predicts a larger (~10%) solar metallicity compared to previous measurements by the same authors but significantly lower (~25%) than the recommended value from a decade ago by Grevesse & Sauval. We compare the results of our models with determinations of the solar structure inferred through helioseismology measurements. The model that uses the most recent solar abundance determinations predicts the base of the solar convective envelope to be located at R CZ = 0.724 R ☉ and a surface helium mass fraction of Y surf = 0.231. These results are in conflict with helioseismology data (R CZ = 0.713 ± 0.001 R ☉ and Y surf = 0.2485 ± 0.0035) at 5σ and 11σ levels, respectively. Using the new solar abundances, we calculate the magnitude by which radiative opacities should be modified in order to restore agreement with helioseismology. We find that a maximum change of ~15% at the base of the convective zone is required with a smooth decrease toward the core, where the change needed is ~5%. The required change at the base of the convective envelope is about half the value estimated previously. We also present the solar neutrino fluxes predicted by the new models. The most important changes brought about by the new solar abundances are the increase by ~10% in the predicted 13N and 15O fluxes that arise mostly due to the increase in the C and N abundances in the newly determined solar composition.Keywords
Other Versions
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Chemical Composition of the SunAnnual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2009
- Independent Measurement of the Total ActiveSolar Neutrino Flux Using an Array ofProportional Counters at the Sudbury Neutrino ObservatoryPhysical Review Letters, 2008
- Direct Measurement of theSolar Neutrino Flux with 192 Days of Borexino DataPhysical Review Letters, 2008
- Determining Solar Abundances Using HelioseismologyThe Astrophysical Journal, 2006
- Electron energy spectra, fluxes, and day-night asymmetries ofB solar neutrinos from measurements with NaCl dissolved in the heavy-water detector at the Sudbury Neutrino ObservatoryPhysical Review C, 2005
- What Is the Neon Abundance of the Sun?The Astrophysical Journal, 2005
- Updated opacities from the Opacity ProjectMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2005
- The Discrepancy between Solar Abundances and HelioseismologyThe Astrophysical Journal, 2005
- Helioseismological Implications of Recent Solar Abundance DeterminationsThe Astrophysical Journal, 2005
- Direct Evidence for Neutrino Flavor Transformation from Neutral-Current Interactions in the Sudbury Neutrino ObservatoryPhysical Review Letters, 2002