The atmospheres of white dwarfs-II. The effects of convection
Abstract
The effect of convection on the structure and observable features of DA and DB white dwarf atmospheres is examined on the basis of mixing length theory and of constant flux model atmospheres. It is concluded that (in comparison to models in pure radiative equilibrium) convection has important effects on the atmospheric structure in the temperature ranges 80000 Tef I3 and 15 0000 Te 25 ooo0K for DA's and DB's respectively. In all cases convection causes the visual spectrum to mimic that of a hotter star. Equivalent widths of H and He I A 4472 respectively are increased by 10 per cent. The predicted U-B, B-V colours are however, hardly affected since convection is important only when the colours are insensitive to temperature changes.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- 1970
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/150.4.435
- Bibcode:
- 1970MNRAS.150..435W