Sensitivity of p modes for constraining velocities of microscopic diffusion of the elements

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether high-quality asteroseismic data from missions like CoRoT and Kepler can effectively constrain microscopic diffusion processes in stars by analyzing p-mode frequencies and atmospheric abundances.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of seismic data to differentiate between stellar initial composition and element diffusion, advancing stellar interior modeling.

Findings

Seismic data can help distinguish initial chemical composition from diffusion effects.

Preliminary results show promising constraints on microscopic diffusion processes.

Analysis indicates the importance of combining atmospheric abundances with p-mode frequencies.

Abstract

Conventional astrophysical observations have failed to provide stringent constraints on physical processes operating in the interior of the stars. However, satellite missions now promise a solution to these problems by providing long-term high-quality continuous data which will allow the application of seismic techniques. With this in mind, and using the Sun as our astrophysical laboratory, our aim is to determine if Corot- and Kepler-like asteroseismic data can constrain physical processes like microscopic diffusion. We test to what extent can the observed atmospheric abundances coupled with p-mode frequencies safely distinguish between stellar initial chemical composition and diffusion of these elements. We present some preliminary results of our analysis.