The formation of chemical peculiarities in stellar atmospheres

Abstract

Abstract Generalized equations of dynamics for plasma components describing the formation of chemical peculiarities in stellar atmospheres due to gravitational, electrostatic, magnetostatic and radiation fields acting on colliding plasma particles have been derived. The equations describing both diffusion and drift phenomena can be treated intercoupled equations of the Fokker–Planck type. It has been shown that in stellar atmospheres there will be generated the electrostatic field which is important for the separation of light elements and their isotopes. A highly anisotropic diffusion in upper atmospheric layers of magnetic stars has been demonstrated. For the interaction of the plasma components with the radiation field, besides a usual upward directed radiation flux generated acceleration, a more complicated light-induced drift due to the selective resonance-like absorption of radiation by thermally moving plasma particles with definite momentum values is shown to be present. The light induced drift ca...