Keele Research Repository

In this contribution we present initial results of a study on convective boundary mixing (CBM) in massive stellar models using the GENEVA stellar evolution code (Eggenberger et al.2008). Before undertaking costly 3D hydrodynamic simulations, it is important to study the general properties of convective boundaries, such as the: composition jump; pressure gradient; and “stiffness”. Models for a 15M⊙ star were computed. We found that for convective shells above the core, the lower (in radius or mass) boundaries are “stiffer” according to the bulk Richardson number than the relative upper (Schwarzschild) boundaries. Thus, we expect reduced CBM at the lower boundaries in comparison to the upper. This has implications on flame front propagation and the onset of novae.