Asteroseismic Diagnostics for Semi-Convection in B Stars in the Era of K2

TL;DR

This paper discusses how asteroseismology can be used to measure semi-convection efficiency in massive B stars, leveraging upcoming high-precision space photometry from the Kepler mission.

Contribution

It proposes using asteroseismic data from $eta$ Cep pulsators to differentiate models of semi-convection in massive stars.

Findings

Asteroseismology can distinguish semi-convection efficiencies.

Upcoming Kepler data will enhance semi-convection modeling.

Potential to improve stellar evolution models.

Abstract

Semi-convection is a slow mixing process in chemically-inhomogeneous radiative interiors of stars. In massive OB stars, it is important during the main sequence. However, the efficiency of this mixing mechanism is not properly gauged yet. Here, we argue that asteroseismology of $\beta$ Cep pulsators is capable of distinguishing between models of varying semi-convection efficiencies. We address this in the light of upcoming high-precision space photometry to be obtained with the Kepler two-wheel mission for massive stars along the ecliptic.