Publications

Context. Rotation is an important phenomenon influencing stellar structure and evolution, however, it has not been adequately modelled thus far. Therefore, accurate estimates of internal rotation rates … are valuable for constraining stellar evolution models. Aims. We aim to assess the accuracy of asteroseismic estimates of internal rotation rates and how they depend on the fundamental stellar parameters. Methods. We applied the recently developed extended-multiplicative optimally localised averages (eMOLA) inversion method, to infer localised estimates of internal rotation rates of synthetic observations of red giants. We searched for suitable reference stellar models, following a grid-based approach, and we assessed the robustness of the resulting inferences with respect to the choice of reference model. Results. We find that matching the mixed-mode pattern between the observation and the reference model is an important criterion for selecting suitable reference models. We propose (i) selecting a set of reference models based on the correlation between the observed rotational splittings and the mode-trapping parameter; (ii) computing the rotation rates for all these models; and (iii) using the average value obtained across the whole set as the estimate of the internal rotation rates. We find that the effect of a near surface perturbation in the synthetic observations on the rotation rates estimated based on the correlation between the observed rotational splittings and the mode-trapping parameter is negligible. Conclusions. We conclude that when using an ensemble of reference models that are selected by matching the mixed-mode pattern, the input rotation rates can be recovered across a range of fundamental stellar parameters such as mass, mixing-length parameter, and composition. Further, red giant rotation rates determined in this way are also independent of any near-surface perturbation of the stellar structure.

Context: Turbulent convection models treat stellar convection more physically than standard mixing-length theory by including non-local effects. We recently successfully applied the Kuhfuss version to … convective cores in main sequence stars. Its usefulness for convective envelopes remains to be tested. Aims: The solar convective envelope constitutes a viable test bed for investigating the usefulness of the 1-equation Kuhfuss turbulent convection model. Methods: We used the one-dimensional stellar evolution code GARSTEC to calculate a standard solar model with the 1-equation Kuhfuss turbulent convection model, and compared it to helioseismic measurements and a solar model using standard mixing-length theory. Additionally, we investigated the influence of the additional free parameters of the convection model on the solar structure. Results: The 1-equation Kuhfuss model reproduces the sound-speed profile and the lower boundary of the convective region less well than the mixing-length model, because the inherent non-local effects overestimate the amount of convective penetration below the Schwarzschild boundary. We trace this back to the coupling of the temperature gradient to the convective flux in the 1-equation version of the Kuhfuss theory. Conclusions: The temperature stratification of the solar convective envelope is not well modelled by the 1-equation Kuhfuss turbulent convection model, and the more complex 3-equation version is needed to improve the modelling of convection in the envelopes of 1D stellar evolution models.

Context: Asteroseismic observations of internal stellar rotation have indicated a substantial lack of angular momentum transport in theoretical models of subgiant and red-giant stars. Accurate core and … surface rotation rate measurements are therefore needed to constrain the internal transport processes included in the models. Aims: We eliminate substantial systematic errors of asteroseismic surface rotation rates found in previous studies. Methods: We propose a new objective function for the optimally localised averages method of rotational inversions for red-giant stars, which results in more accurate envelope rotation rate estimates obtained from the same data. We use synthetic observations from stellar models across a range of evolutionary stages and masses to demonstrate the improvement. Results: We find that our new inversion technique allows us to obtain estimates of the surface rotation rate that are independent of the core rotation. For a star at the base of the red-giant branch, we reduce the systematic error from about 20% to a value close to 0, assuming constant envelope rotation. We also show the equivalence between this method and the method of linearised rotational splittings. Conclusions: Our new rotational inversion method substantially reduces the systematic errors of red-giant surface rotation rates. In combination with independent measures of the surface rotation rate, this will allow better constraints to be set on the internal rotation profile. This will be a very important probe for further constraining the internal angular momentum transport along the lower part of the red-giant branch.