The Effects of Mass Loss on the Evolution of Chemical Abundances in Fm Stars

TL;DR

This study models how mass loss influences chemical abundances and internal structures in Fm stars, showing that mass loss rates similar to the Sun's can explain observed phenomena like the AmFm star characteristics.

Contribution

It introduces self-consistent stellar models including atomic diffusion, radiative accelerations, and mass loss, revealing their combined effects on Fm star evolution and chemical peculiarities.

Findings

Mass loss rates comparable to the solar rate reproduce observations of τ UMa.

Mass loss affects the iron convection zone beneath the hydrogen convection zone.

Effects of mass loss can be distinguished from turbulence but both explain AmFm peculiarities.

Abstract

Self-consistent stellar models including all effects of atomic diffusion and radiative accelerations as well as mass loss are evolved from the pre main sequence for stars of 1.35-1.5, M$_{\odot}$ at solar metallicity (Z=0.02). A mass loss rate similar to the solar mass loss rate is sufficient to reproduce observations of the star $\tau$UMa. We discuss the effect of mass loss on the iron convection zone that naturally appears beneath the main hydrogen convection zone of these stars. We also find that the effects of mass loss can be distinguished from those caused by turbulence, but are nevertheless able to explain the particularities of the AmFm phenomenon.