Photofluid Instabilities of Hot Stellar Envelopes

Abstract

Beginning from a relatively simple set of dynamical equations for a fluid permeated by a radiative field strong enough to produce significant forces, we find the structure of plane-parallel equilibria and study their stability to small acoustic disturbances. In doing this, we neglect viscous effects and complications of nongreyness. We find that acoutic instabilities occur over a wide range of conditions below the Eddington limit. This result is in line with findings reported twenty years ago but it contradicts some more recent reports of the absence of instabilities. We briefly attempt to identify the causes of the discrepancies and then close with a discussion of the possible astrophysical interest of such instabilities.