Implications of a turbulent convection model for classical Cepheids

TL;DR

This study evaluates the Kuhfuss turbulent convection model in stellar evolution, demonstrating it naturally reproduces Cepheid blue loops and aligns with observations without ad-hoc assumptions, offering a more physically consistent approach.

Contribution

The paper introduces the application of the non-local Kuhfuss turbulent convection model to intermediate-mass stars, showing it can naturally produce blue loops and match observed Cepheid parameters without fine-tuning.

Findings

Kuhfuss TCM reproduces Cepheid blue loops naturally.

Models match observed stellar parameters without ad-hoc assumptions.

Kuhfuss TCM results are comparable to models with overshooting.

Abstract

The appearance of blue loops in the evolutionary tracks of intermediate-mass core He-burning stars is essential for explaining the observed characteristics of Cepheids. The blue loops for lower mass Cepheids cannot always be reproduced when only classical, local mixing length theory (MLT) is used. Additionally, classical models result in a mass discrepancy compared to pulsational and dynamical mass determinations. Both problems can be resolved through an ad-hoc extension of the MLT for convection. We use the non-local Kuhfuss turbulent convection model (TCM) which can explain overshooting directly from the solution of the TCM equations. The primary objective of this study is to test the predictions of the Kuhfuss TCM when applied to intermediate-mass core He-burning stars and validate the model predictions against observations of Cepheids. We used the state-of-the-art 1D stellar evolution code GARSTEC with the implementation of the Kuhfuss TCM and computed evolutionary tracks for intermediate-mass core He-burning stars. We compare these tracks with those computed with MLT including and excluding ad-hoc overshooting and with observations of five Cepheids in detached binary systems obtained from the literature. The stellar evolution tracks generated using the Kuhfuss TCM and MLT with ad-hoc overshooting exhibit similar appearances. Overshoot mixing from the convective boundaries and the occurrence of the Cepheid blue-loop have been achieved naturally as solutions to the Kuhfuss TCM equations. Furthermore, these models successfully reproduce observed stellar parameters including mass, luminosity, radius, and effective temperature. In conclusion, our TCM approach reproduces Cepheid blue loops and agrees with observations similarly well as MLT models with overshooting, however, without fine-tuning the model parameters or ad-hoc assumptions.