Wave propagation and transmission in a rotating solar-type star

TL;DR

This study investigates how internal waves propagate and transmit across different layers in a rotating solar-type star, revealing the effects of rotation on wave energy transport and potential for probing stellar interiors.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of wave behavior across the radiation-convection interface in rotating stars, highlighting the impact of rotation on wave transmission and energy flux.

Findings

Rotation significantly affects non-axisymmetric wave modes.

Inertial and gravito-inertial waves dominate energy transport in convective and radiative zones.

Rotation enhances gravito-inertial wave transmission at the interface.

Abstract

We study the internal wave propagation and transmission across the radiation-convection interface in a solar-type star by solving the linear perturbation equations of a self-gravitating and uniformly rotating polytropic fluid in spherical geometry with Coriolis force fully taken into account. Three structures are considered: convective zone, radiative zone, and a transitional layer at the interface. In a rotating convective zone, energy flux is predominantly carried by sound waves while kinetic energy by inertial waves, and rotation has a great effect on non-axisymmetric modes. In a radiative zone without rotation, energy flux is predominantly carried by sound waves or gravity waves while kinetic energy by gravity waves. In a layered structure, rotation enhances gravito-inertial waves transmission at the interface because the group velocity of inertial waves is almost along the rotational axis. This implies that we can detect the deep interior of rapidly rotating solar-type stars at the young age.