Fluctuation theory of the mass flux from the stars: The refutations

Abstract

This third paper on the stellar mass loss as a fluctuation phenomenon addresses the refutations. It discusses the instability of the subphotosphere to outward mass flows, which develop into stochastic surges. By applying the principle of minimum free energy, the average outward velocity to which these flows are amplified is found to be just below the atmospheric escape velocity. Small fluctuations above this average value will therefore lead to mass loss. This justifies the Langevin equation, introduced previously to describe the mass loss, and a formal derivation of this equation is presented. The average value is, furthermore, related to the earlier postulated equipartition of kinetic and thermal power of the atmosphere. Finally, the paper discusses deviations of the stellar relaxation time fromGM ² /RL, when a strong concentration of matter is at the centre. These deviations explain the anomalous behaviour of the mass loss rate of red (super)giants, so that the essential prediction of the fluctuation theory for the loss rate is not refuted.