From core to envelope: Revealing the deep dynamics of stars with two convective zones
Abstract
On the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, F-type solar pulsators connect the Sun to intermediate-mass stars located on the instability strip. With respect to lower-mass stars, they are structurally peculiar in the sense that they are constituted of three distinct dynamical layers: a small convective core, a deep radiative interior, and a shallow convective envelope. Current asteroseismic techniques only provide limited information on the interior dynamics of these stars. Indeed only gravity modes ( g modes), for which unambiguous characterisation is lacking, are able to probe the deep stellar layers. A better understanding of the excitation and behaviour in F-type solar pulsators is therefore necessary in order to consider their detection. In this work, we simulate the global stellar structure of an F-type star (core, radiative interior, envelope) for the first time. We show that the contribution of the core strongly affects the spectrum of excited g modes, with low-order high-degree modes unable to form due to their interaction with the turbulent convection of the core. Finally, by computing the disc-integrated signature of the modes, we are able to demonstrate that they preserve their integrity up to the top of the convective envelope, which is a strong argument in favour of their detectability with space-borne photometry.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Stellar
planetary
and galactic studies
Scientific Research and Discoveries
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Publisher
- EDP Sciences
- Volume
- 710
- Pages
- A10–A10
- Publication date
- 29 April 2026
- Language
- EN