Are magnetic OB stars more prone to mixing? Still an unsettled issue

Abstract

We review our knowledge of the mixing properties of magnetic OB stars and discuss whether the observational data presently available support, as predicted by some theoretical models, the idea that magnetic phenomena favour the transport of the chemical elements. A (likely statistical) relationship between enhanced mixing and the existence of a field has been emerging over the last few years. As discussed in this contribution, however, a clear answer to this question is presently hampered by the lack of large and well-defined samples of magnetic and non-magnetic stars.Comment: 5 pages, one colour figure. In 'Four decades of research on massive stars: a scientific meeting in honour of A.F.J. Moffat', ASP Conf. Series, in pres