HELIOSEISMIC TESTS OF THE NEW LOS ALAMOS OPACITIES

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:773604

GUZIK, J

We compare the helioseismic properties of two solar models, one calibrated with the OPAL opacities and the other with the recent Los Alamos LEDCOP opacities. We show that, in the radiative interior of the Sun, the small differences between the two sets of opacities (up to 6% near the base of the convection zone) lead to noticeable differences in the solar structure (up to 0.4% in sound speed), with the OPAL model being the closest to the helioseismic data. More than half of the difference between the two opacity sets results from the interpolation scheme and from the relatively widely spaced temperature grids used in the tables. The remaining 3% intrinsic difference between the OPAL and the LEDCOP opacities in the radiative interior of the Sun is well within the error bars on the opacity calculations resulting from the uncertainties on the physics. We conclude that the OPAL and LEDCOP opacity sets do about as well in the radiative interior of the Sun.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 773604
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-01-352
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CONVECTION
INTERPOLATION
MORPHOLOGY
OPACITY
STAR MODELS
SUN