Why are red dwarf stars fully convective?

The heat transfer mechanism (convection or radiation) at some region in a star is determined by the opacity of the region. If the opacity is low, heat transfer takes place by radiation. If the opacity is high, convection takes over. read more

The heat transfer mechanism (convection or radiation) at some region in a star is determined by the opacity of the region. If the opacity is low, heat transfer takes place by radiation. read more

Red dwarfs, on the other hand, are fully convective. This means helium does not accumulate at the core, and the stars can continue to burn hydrogen for a much longer time than other stars. More massive stars, like O-type stars, are much less numerous than lower mass stars like red dwarfs. read more

Stellar models indicate that red dwarfs less than 0.35 M☉ are fully convective.[3] Hence the helium produced by the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen is constantly remixed throughout the star, avoiding its buildup at the core and prolonging the period of fusion. read more