Solar models with protosolar accretion and turbulent mixing

Context. Over the last two decades, no standard solar model (SSM) has been able to reproduce all observational data, resulting in active discussions regarding the so-called solar modeling problem. A recent study suggests that the accretion from the protosolar disk onto the proto-Sun could have left a large compositional gradient in the solar interior, in agreement with the low-metallicity ( Z ) solar surface and the high- Z solar core suggested by spectroscopic and neutrino observations, respectively. In addition, recent analyses have reported low lithium but high beryllium abundances on the solar surface; SSMs predict Li abundances that differ by ∼30 σ from the observed value. Aims. We develop solar models and compare them with the Li and Be abundance constraints. Methods. We examined the effect of accretion and turbulent mixing below the base of the surface convective zone. We computed ∼200 solar evolutionary models for each case using target quantities to optimize input parameters, similar to the SSM framework. Results. We confirm that turbulent mixing helps reproduce the surface Li and Be abundances within ∼0.6 σ by boosting burning. This suppresses gravitational settling, leading to a better matching of the He surface abundance (≲0.3 σ ) and a smaller compositional gradient. We derive a new protosolar helium abundance, Y proto = 0.2651 ± 0.0035. Turbulent mixing decreases the central metallicity ( Z center ) by ≈4.4%; meanwhile, our previous study suggests that accretion increases Z center by essentially the same percentage. Unfortunately, the reduction in Z center implies that our models do not reproduce constraints on observed neutrino fluxes, with differences of 6.2 σ for 8 B and 2.7 σ for CNO. Conclusions. Including turbulent mixing in solar models appears indispensable to reproducing the observed atmospheric abundances of Li and Be. However, the resulting tensions in terms of neutrino fluxes, even in the models with protosolar accretion, show that the solar modeling problem remains, at least partly. We suggest that improved electron screening, as well as other microscopic properties, may help alleviate this problem. An independent confirmation of the neutrino fluxes as measured by the Borexino experiment would also be extremely valuable.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2025-09-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555104
Primary Topic
Astro and Planetary Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Solar models with protosolar accretion and turbulent mixing

G. Buldgen, Masanobu Kunitomo, T. Guillot
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astro and Planetary Science
article

Solar models with protosolar accretion and turbulent mixing

G. Buldgen, Masanobu Kunitomo, T. Guillot
article en

Abstract

Context. Over the last two decades, no standard solar model (SSM) has been able to reproduce all observational data, resulting in active discussions regarding the so-called solar modeling problem. A recent study suggests that the accretion from the protosolar disk onto the proto-Sun could have left a large compositional gradient in the solar interior, in agreement with the low-metallicity ( Z ) solar surface and the high- Z solar core suggested by spectroscopic and neutrino observations, respectively. In addition, recent analyses have reported low lithium but high beryllium abundances on the solar surface; SSMs predict Li abundances that differ by ∼30 σ from the observed value. Aims. We develop solar models and compare them with the Li and Be abundance constraints. Methods. We examined the effect of accretion and turbulent mixing below the base of the surface convective zone. We computed ∼200 solar evolutionary models for each case using target quantities to optimize input parameters, similar to the SSM framework. Results. We confirm that turbulent mixing helps reproduce the surface Li and Be abundances within ∼0.6 σ by boosting burning. This suppresses gravitational settling, leading to a better matching of the He surface abundance (≲0.3 σ ) and a smaller compositional gradient. We derive a new protosolar helium abundance, Y proto = 0.2651 ± 0.0035. Turbulent mixing decreases the central metallicity ( Z center ) by ≈4.4%; meanwhile, our previous study suggests that accretion increases Z center by essentially the same percentage. Unfortunately, the reduction in Z center implies that our models do not reproduce constraints on observed neutrino fluxes, with differences of 6.2 σ for 8 B and 2.7 σ for CNO. Conclusions. Including turbulent mixing in solar models appears indispensable to reproducing the observed atmospheric abundances of Li and Be. However, the resulting tensions in terms of neutrino fluxes, even in the models with protosolar accretion, show that the solar modeling problem remains, at least partly. We suggest that improved electron screening, as well as other microscopic properties, may help alleviate this problem. An independent confirmation of the neutrino fluxes as measured by the Borexino experiment would also be extremely valuable.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 702
Kurume University (JP), University of Liège (BE), Lagrange Laboratory (FR), Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 80%
Astro and Planetary Science
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.