Some Thoughts on the Convective Urca Process

Abstract

I have repeatedly grappled with the question of how the convective Urca process affects stellar evolution, in particular during the high-density convective carbon burning that can occur in near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs. This manuscript collects some fragmentary thoughts from various failed and abandoned attempts. This is not a complete work, does not provide a comprehensive overview of the literature, and has no definitive conclusions. It is posted in the hope that some part of it might prove useful to someone at some point in the future. I also take this opportunity to include anotter important result of more general interest (Appendix B).