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Title: 3D hydrodynamics simulations of core convection in supermassive main-sequence stars
ABSTRACT Supermassive stars are Population III stars with masses exceeding $$10^4\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$$ that could be the progenitors of the first supermassive black holes. Their interiors are in a regime where radiation pressure dominates the equation of state. In this work, we use the explicit gas dynamics code ppmstar to simulate the hydrogen-burning core of a $$10^4\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$$ supermassive main-sequence star. These are the first three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of core convection in supermassive stars. We perform a series of 10 simulations at different heating rates and on Cartesian grids with resolutions of 7683, 11523, and 17283. We examine different properties of the convective flow, including its large-scale morphology, its velocity spectrum, and its mixing properties. We conclude that the radiation pressure-dominated nature of the interior does not noticeably affect the behaviour of convection compared to the case of core convection in a massive main-sequence star where gas pressure dominates. Our simulations also offer support for the use of mixing-length theory in one-dimensional models of supermassive stars.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1814181 2032010
PAR ID:
10421014
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume:
521
Issue:
3
ISSN:
0035-8711
Page Range / eLocation ID:
4605 to 4613
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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