Influence of Gravity Waves on the Internal Rotation and Li Abundance of Solar-Type Stars

Abstract

The Sun's rotation profile and lithium content have been difficult to understand in the context of conventional models of stellar evolution. Classical hydrodynamic models predict that the solar interior must rotate highly differentially, in disagreement with observations. It has recently been shown that internal waves produced by convection in solar-type stars produce an asymmetric, shear layer oscillation, similar to Earth's quasi-biennial oscillation, that leads to efficient angular momentum redistribution from the core to the envelope. We present results of a model that successfully reproduces both the rotation profile and the surface abundance of lithium in solar-type stars of various ages.