Diffusion of Neon in White Dwarf Stars

Details Diffusion of Neon in White Dwarf Stars Diffusion of Neon in White Dwarf Stars

2010-09-22

arxiv.org/abs/1009.4248v2

Phys. Rev. E 82, 066401 (2010)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

6 pages, 5 figures, minor changes, Phys. Rev. E in press

Scientific paper

10.1103/PhysRevE.82.066401

Sedimentation of the neutron rich isotope $^{22}$Ne may be an important source of gravitational energy during the cooling of white dwarf stars. This depends on the diffusion constant for $^{22}$Ne in strongly coupled plasma mixtures. We calculate self-diffusion constants $D_i$ from molecular dynamics simulations of carbon, oxygen, and neon mixtures. We find that $D_i$ in a mixture does not differ greatly from earlier one component plasma results. For strong coupling (coulomb parameter $\Gamma>$ few), $D_i$ has a modest dependence on the charge $Z_i$ of the ion species, $D_i \propto Z_i^{-2/3}$. However $D_i$ depends more strongly on $Z_i$ for weak coupling (smaller $\Gamma$). We conclude that the self-diffusion constant $D_{\rm Ne}$ for $^{22}$Ne in carbon, oxygen, and neon plasma mixtures is accurately known so that uncertainties in $D_{\rm Ne}$ should be unimportant for simulations of white dwarf cooling.

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