A survey of the core helium flash with dynamic convection

Abstract

Core helium flash model parameters were varied to examine their effects in an analytical study of the convective heating of a stellar interior within the core convection zone. Several models of a helium core were considered in terms of an angular zoning-eddy viscosity combination that yielded the highest interior heating rate and lowest peak temperature. Two separate results were obtained for noncentral core helium flashes, one in which the flash point was strong enough to produce inward directed movement of the burning front, the second in which the burning front does not propagate. For central core helium flashes, dominated by density and temperature, higher initial density models produce more violent, higher temperature, more extensive nuclear process phenomena. It is concluded that, in some instances, penetration of the hydrogen burning shell by small amounts of high temperature material is possible.