Evolutionary variations of superficial iron and calcium abundance in main sequence A stars
Main sequence stellar evolution models were computed together with solution of the equations of atomic diffusion for 16 elements from hydrogen to nickel. The grid of evolutionary tracks comprises the models with stellar masses ranged from 1.4 to $2.5M_\odot$ computed for initial helium and metal abundances $Y=0.28$ and $Z=0.02$, respectively. The calculations were done for the mass loss rates $10^{-15}M_\odot/\textrm{yr}\le\dot M\le 10^{-12}M_\odot/\textrm{yr}$ as well as for $\dot M=0$. The high superficial abundance of iron in Am stars is shown to be due to the radiative acceleration acting on the atoms of iron. The significantly smaller absorption coefficient of calcium is responsible for its gravitational settling and accumulation above its opacity maximum at $T\sim 10^6\:\textrm{K}$. Recover of the superficial calcium abundance is due to plunge of the outer convection zone bottom to layers with its excessive abundance. A significant role in the evolutionary variations of superficial abundances of chemical elements belongs to the intermediate convection zone arising for the first $\lesssim 300$ Myr due to accumulation of the atoms of iron and nickel in the layers with temperature $T\sim 2\times 10^5\:\textrm{K}$. In stars with mass $M\le 1.9M_\odot$ both the outer and intermediate convection zones merge due to evolutionary descend of the bottom of the outer convection zone so that overabundant iron and nickel are transported to the outer layers by convection. The merging of the convective zones is responsible for considerable variations of superficial abundances of calcium and iron with duration ranging from a quarter to a half of the main--sequence lifetime depending on the stellar mass. Therefore, Am stars as well as slowly rotating nonmagnetic A main--sequence stars have the common origin, whereas appearance of their chemical anomalies depend of the stellar mass and age.