Overshooting and semiconvection: Structural changes and asteroseismic signatures

Overshooting and semiconvection are two poorly known mechanisms which affect the extent and the efficiency of chemical mixing outside classical convection zones in stars. We discuss the uncertainties and the inferences of those processes in main sequence stars burning hydrogen in a convective core. We then focus on the asteroseismic signatures of partially or fully mixed zones surrounding the convective core, through the detailed shape of the induced chemical composition profile. We emphasize the potential power of asteroseismology to determine the internal structure of stars and thus to help us understand the physical processes at work inside the stars. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.