Thermal Conduction by Electrons in Stellar Matter

Abstract

Tables of electron-conduction opacity are presented which incorporate recent advances in the theory of electron conduction in stellar matter. The following effects are included: (a) electron-ion and electronelectron collisions; (b) electron-electron, electron-ion, and ion-ion correlations and shielding; (c) correct treatment of the low-temperature low-density regime where the Born approximation fails. A calculation of electron thermal conductivity in the ion solid state is presented. Relativistic effects are not included. Tables are presented for hydrogen, helium, carbon, composition of red-giant cores, and solar composition over a range of density from 1(h5.7o to 1 g , and a range of temperature from 10 to too K. Regions where the theory breaks down are excluded. In the case of hydrogen and helium, we find that electron-electron collisions may decrease the thermal conductivity significantly even for relatively high degeneracy. For a typical red-giant core, we find that the conductive opacity is 2-3 times larger than currently accepted values.