Helioseismic models of the sun with a low heavy element abundance

Helioseismology and neutrino experiments probing the internal structure of the Sun have yieldedmuch information, such as the adiabatic elasticity index, density, and sound speed in the convective and radiative zones, the depth of the convective zone, and the flux of neutrinos from the core. The standard model of the Sun does not adequately reproduce these characteristics, with models with low heavy element contents (mass fraction of metals Z = 0.013 in the convective zone) deviating from the helioseismic data appreciably more strongly than models with high heavy element contents (Z = 0.018). However, a spectroscopic low Z value is supported by studies reconstructing the Γ ₁ profile in the adiabatic part of the convective zone based on the oscillation frequencies. Models of the convective zone show a good agreement precisely for low Z values. This study attempts to construct a model for the Sun with low Z that satisfies the helioseismic constraints. This model requires changes in the p + p reaction cross section and the opacities in the radiative zone. In our view, the helioseismic result for the mass concentrated in the convective zone testifies that the p + p reaction cross section or the electron-screening coefficient in the solar core must be increased by several percent over the current values. This requires a comparatively small correction to the opacities (by less than 5%), in order to obtain a solar model with low Z that is in agreement with the results of helioseismology and the observed solar neutrino fluxes.