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Title: Do All Low-Mass Stars Undergo Extra Mixing Processes?
Abstract Standard stellar evolution models that only consider convection as a physical process to mix material inside of stars predict the production of significant amounts of3He in low-mass stars (M< 2M), with peak abundances of3He/H ∼ few × 10−3by number. Over the lifetime of the Galaxy, this ought to produce3He/H abundances that diminish with increasing Galactocentric radius. Observations of3He+in Hiiregions throughout the Galactic disk, however, reveal very little variation in the3He abundance with values of3He/H similar to the primordial abundance, 3 H e / H p 10 5 . This discrepancy, known as the “3He problem,” can be resolved by invoking in stellar evolution models an extra mixing mechanism due to the thermohaline instability. Here we observe3He+in the planetary nebula (PN) J320 (G190.3–17.7) with the Jansky Very Large Array to confirm a previous3He+detection made with the Very Large Array that supports standard stellar yields. This measurement alone indicates that not all stars undergo extra mixing. Our more sensitive observations do not detect3He+emission from J320 with an rms noise of 58.8μJy beam−1after smoothing the data to a velocity resolution of 11.4 km s−1. We estimate an abundance limit of3He/H ≤ 2.75 × 10−3by number using the numerical radiative transfer code NEBULA. This result nullifies the last significant detection of3He+in a PN and allows for the possibility that all stars undergo extra mixing processes.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1714688
PAR ID:
10480958
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
The Astrophysical Journal
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
936
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
168
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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