Wp. Abbett et al., SOLAR CONVECTION - COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS AND MIXING-LENGTH THEORY, The Astrophysical journal, 480(1), 1997, pp. 395-399
We compare the results of realistic numerical simulations of convectio
n in the superadiabatic layer near the solar surface with the predicti
ons of mixing-length theory. We find that the peak values of such quan
tities as the temperature gradient, the temperature fluctuations, and
the velocity fluctuations, as well as the entropy jump in the simulati
on, can be reproduced by mixing-length theory for a ratio of mixing le
ngth to pressure scale height alpha approximate to 1.5. However, local
mixing-length theory neither reproduces the profiles of these variabl
es with depth nor allows penetration of convective motions into the ov
erlying stable photosphere.