On the crystallization onset in white dwarfs

TL;DR

This paper investigates the early stages of crystallization in a 0.9 solar mass white dwarf, revealing the formation of spherical shells, heat release, and element redistribution during the process.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical analysis of the crystallization onset, including latent heat release and element flux estimation in white dwarf cores.

Findings

Formation of two spherical shells during crystallization

Latent heat release influences the thermal evolution

Estimated light element flux is small and non-divergent

Abstract

Thermal evolution of the central region of a $0.9 \, M_\odot$ C/O white dwarf at the initial stage of the ion mixture crystallization is studied by numerically solving the heat equation on a fine spatial and temporal grid and by including a detailed treatment of the latent heat release. Formation of two spherical shells is observed. The outer one surrounds a region where crystallization has begun. The inner one bounds a fully solidified core which has exhausted its latent heat. The region between the shells is partially liquid and partially solid. It gradually emits the latent heat of crystallization and also it releases light elements (carbon) in the process of element redistribution, accompanying the mixture solidification. Assuming that all released light elements cross the outer shell, we have estimated their flux induced by the mixture crystallization. The resulting flux is not divergent and is much smaller than an estimate derived from the growth rate of the fully crystallized core.