An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The region to the right the → Hayashi track, representing objects that cannot be in → hydrostatic equilibrium. Energy transport in these objects would take place with a → superadiabatic temperature gradient.

→ Hayashi track; → forbidden; → zone.

A period in the → pre-main sequence evolution of a low mass star during which the star has negligible nuclear energy production and low internal temperature. Hence energy transport inside the star takes place dominantly through → convection. The star contracts homologously and evolves in the → H-R diagram along the → hayashi track with decreasing → luminosity and nearly constant → effective temperature. The time taken by a star of mass M_* to contract to radius R_* along a Hayashi track is of the order of the → Kelvin-Helmholtz time: t_KH = 10⁷(M_*/M_sun)²/(R_*/R_sun)³ yr.

→ Hayashi track; → phase.

The minimum → effective temperature required for a → pre-main sequence star of given mass and radius to be in → hydrostatic equilibrium. This temperature delimits the boundary of the → Hayashi forbidden zone.

→ Hayashi track; → temperature.

The path on the → Hertzsprung-Russell diagram that is followed by a fully → convective  → pre-main sequence star to reach the → zero-age main sequence. Hayashi tracks for → low-mass stars are near vertical. At higher masses, stars become increasingly radiative as they contract and the Hayashi tracks are almost horizontal.

Named after the Japanese astrophysicist Chushiro Hayashi (1920-2010), who published his paper in 1961 (PASJ 13, 450); → track.