Revisiting the Perseus Cluster I: Resolving the Si/S/Ar/Ca ratios by Stellar Convection

TL;DR

This study refines stellar evolution models by adjusting convection parameters to better match observed element ratios in the Perseus Cluster, aiding understanding of supernova nucleosynthesis.

Contribution

It introduces specific convective parameters that improve the accuracy of massive star explosion models in predicting element ratios.

Findings

Optimal mixing length parameter of 2.2 identified

Semi-convection parameter of 0.03 improves model fit

Enhanced models better match observed Si/S/Ar/Ca ratios

Abstract

Chemical abundance measurements from stars in the Milky Way to the intragalactic medium in the Perseus Cluster have challenged the spherical explosion models. Models in the literature cannot closely match the observed element ratios, where Si, S are overproduced and Ar, Ca are underproduced. In this article, we explore the impact of the model parameters during the evolution of massive stars on the final explosive nucleosynthesis. We investigate the effects of a parametrized model of the convective process, including the mixing length parameter and the semi-convection parameter, on the production of Si-group elements. We search for the value pair that can reduce the discrepancy in the models. We conclude that a mixing length parameter of 2.2 and semi-convection parameter of 0.03 are required to fit these criteria. Using this updated value pair, we compute a sequence of massive star models from $M_{\rm ZAMS} = $ 15 -- 40 $M_{\odot}$. The high resolution data from future observations such as XRISM will provide further details on less constrained processes in stellar evolution and supernova explosion. Future comparison with supernova models of various progenitor metallicity will further shed light on the supernova population and their relative rates on cosmological scales.