THE SOLAR ABUNDANCE PROBLEM: THE EFFECT OF THE TURBULENT KINETIC FLUX ON THE SOLAR ENVELOPE MODEL

Recent three-dimensional (3D) simulations have shown that the turbulent kinetic flux (TKF) is significant. We discuss the effects of TKF on the size of the convection zone and find that the TKF may help solve the solar abundance problem. The solar abundance problem is that, with new abundances, the solar convection zone depth, the sound speed in the radiative interior, the helium abundance, and the density in the convective envelope are not in agreement with helioseismic inversions. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations on solar convective envelope models with different profiles of TKF to test its effects. The solar abundance problem is revealed in the standard solar convective envelope model with AGSS09 composition, which shows significant differences (∼10)) in density from the helioseismic inversions, but the differences in the model with the old composition GN93 is small (∼0.5)). In the testing models with a different TKF imposed, it is found that the density profile is sensitive to the value of TKF at the base of the convective envelope and insensitive to the structure of TKF in the convection zone. The required value of turbulent kinetic luminosity at the base is about –13% to – 19% L _☉. Comparing with the 3D simulations, this value is plausible. This study is for the solar convective envelope only. Evolutionary solar models with TKF are required to investigat the effects of TKF on the solar interior structure below the convection zone and the whole solar abundance problem, but the profile of the TKF in the overshoot region is necessary