Convective Boundary Mixing Processes

Abstract Convective motions extend beyond the nominal boundaries of a convection zone. These motions mix fluid through multiple mechanisms collectively called “convective boundary mixing.” In this note, we discuss three distinct fluid dynamical processes: convective overshoot, entrainment, and penetrative convection. We describe the structure of a convective boundary that these processes create. To resolve discrepancies between models and observations, the stellar astrophysics community should distinguish between these processes and parameterize each of them separately in 1D evolutionary models.