Reliability of P mode event classification using contemporaneous BiSON and GOLF observations

We carried out a comparison of the signals seen in contemporaneous BiSON and GOLF data sets. Both instruments perform Doppler shift velocity measurements in integrated sunlight, although BiSON perform measurements from the two wings of potassium absorption line and GOLF from one wing of the NaD1 line. Discrepancies between the two datasets have been observed. We show,in fact, that the relative power depends on the wing in which GOLF data observes. During the blue wing period, the relative power is much higher than in BiSON datasets, while a good agreement has been observed during the red period.Comment: 7 pages, HELAS II: Helioseismology, Asteroseismology, and MHD Connections, conference proceedin

Parametrizing the time-variation of the "surface term" of stellar p-mode frequencies: application to helioseismic data

The solar-cyle variation of acoustic mode frequencies has a frequency dependence related to the inverse mode inertia. The discrepancy between model predictions and measured oscillation frequencies for solar and solar-type stellar acoustic modes includes a significant frequency-dependent term known as the surface term that is also related to the inverse mode inertia. We parametrize both the surface term and the frequency variations for low-degree solar data from Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) and medium-degree data from the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) using the mode inertia together with cubic and inverse frequency terms. We find that for the central frequency of rotationally split multiplets the cubic term dominates both the average surface term and the temporal variation, but for the medium-degree case the inverse term improves the fit to the temporal variation. We also examine the variation of the even-order splitting coefficients for the medium-degree data and find that, as for the central frequency, the latitude-dependent frequency variation, which reflects the changing latitudinal distribution of magnetic activity over the solar cycle, can be described by the combination of a cubic and an inverse function of frequency scaled by inverse mode inertia. The results suggest that this simple parametrization could be used to assess the activity-related frequency variation in solar-like asteroseismic targets.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures. Accepted by MNRAS 13 October 201

The Sun in transition? Persistence of near-surface structural changes through Cycle 24

We examine the frequency shifts in low-degree helioseismic modes from the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) covering the period from 1985 - 2016, and compare them with a number of global activity proxies well as a latitudinally-resolved magnetic index. As well as looking at frequency shifts in different frequency bands, we look at a parametrization of the shift as a cubic function of frequency. While the shifts in the medium- and highfrequency bands are very well correlated with all of the activity indices (with the best correlation being with the 10.7 cm radio flux), we confirm earlier findings that there appears to have been a change in the frequency response to activity during solar cycle 23, and the low frequency shifts are less correlated with activity in the last two cycles than they were in Cycle 22. At the same time, the more recent cycles show a slight increase in their sensitivity to activity levels at medium and higher frequencies, perhaps because a greater proportion of activity is composed of weaker or more ephemeral regions. This lends weight to the speculation that a fundamental change in the nature of the solar dynamo may be in progress.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Accepted by MNRAS 24 May 201

Low-degree multi-spectral p-mode fitting

We combine unresolved-Sun velocity and intensity observations at multiple wavelengths from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Atmospheric Imaging Array onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory to investigate the possibility of multi-spectral mode-frequency estimation at low spherical harmonic degree. We test a simple multi-spectral algorithm using a common line width and frequency for each mode and a separate amplitude, background and asymmetry parameter, and compare the results with those from fits to the individual spectra. The preliminary results suggest that this approach may provide a more stable fit than using the observables separately

The Octave (Birmingham - Sheffield Hallam) automated pipeline for extracting oscillation parameters of solar-like main-sequence stars

The number of main-sequence stars for which we can observe solar-like oscillations is expected to increase considerably with the short-cadence high-precision photometric observations from the NASA Kepler satellite. Because of this increase in number of stars, automated tools are needed to analyse these data in a reasonable amount of time. In the framework of the asteroFLAG consortium, we present an automated pipeline which extracts frequencies and other parameters of solar-like oscillations in main-sequence and subgiant stars. The pipeline uses only the timeseries data as input and does not require any other input information. Tests on 353 artificial stars reveal that we can obtain accurate frequencies and oscillation parameters for about three quarters of the stars. We conclude that our methods are well suited for the analysis of main-sequence stars, which show mainly p-mode oscillations.Comment: accepted by MNRA

Evidence of Counter-Streaming Ions near the Inner Pole of the HERMeS Hall Thruster

NASA is continuing the development of a 12.5-kW Hall thruster system to support a phased exploration concept to expand human presence to cis-lunar space and eventually to Mars. The development team is transitioning knowledge gained from the testing of the government-built Technology Development Unit (TDU) to the contractor-built Engineering Test Unit (ETU). A new laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic was developed to obtain data for validating the Hall thruster models and for comparing the behavior of the ETU and TDU. Analysis of TDU LIF data obtained during initial deployment of the diagnostics revealed evidence of two streams of ions moving in opposite directions near the inner front pole. These two streams of ions were found to intersect the downstream surface of the front pole at large oblique angles. This data points to a possible explanation for why the erosion rate of polished pole covers were observed to decrease over the course of several hundred hours of thruster operation

Sounding stellar cycles with Kepler - I. Strategy for selecting targets

The long-term monitoring and high photometric precision of the Kepler satellite will provide a unique opportunity to sound the stellar cycles of many solar-type stars using asteroseismology. This can be achieved by studying periodic changes in the amplitudes and frequencies of the oscillation modes observed in these stars. By comparing these measurements with conventional ground-based chromospheric activity indices, we can improve our understanding of the relationship between chromospheric changes and those taking place deep in the interior throughout the stellar activity cycle. In addition, asteroseismic measurements of the convection zone depth and differential rotation may help us determine whether stellar cycles are driven at the top or at the base of the convection zone. In this paper, we analyze the precision that will be possible using Kepler to measure stellar cycles, convection zone depths, and differential rotation. Based on this analysis, we describe a strategy for selecting specific targets to be observed by the Kepler Asteroseismic Investigation for the full length of the mission, to optimize their suitability for probing stellar cycles in a wide variety of solar-type stars.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA

Solar-like oscillations of semiregular variables

Oscillations of the Sun and solar-like stars are believed to be excited stochastically by convection near the stellar surface. Theoretical modeling predicts that the resulting amplitude increases rapidly with the luminosity of the star. Thus one might expect oscillations of substantial amplitudes in red giants with high luminosities and vigorous convection. Here we present evidence that such oscillations may in fact have been detected in the so-called semiregular variables, extensive observations of which have been made by amateur astronomers in the American Association for Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). This may offer a new opportunity for studying the physical processes that give rise to the oscillations, possibly leading to further information about the properties of convection in these stars.Comment: Astrophys. J. Lett., in the press. Processed with aastex and emulateap

Sounding stellar cycles with Kepler - preliminary results from ground-based chromospheric activity measurements

Due to its unique long-term coverage and high photometric precision, observations from the Kepler asteroseismic investigation will provide us with the possibility to sound stellar cycles in a number of solar-type stars with asteroseismology. By comparing these measurements with conventional ground-based chromospheric activity measurements we might be able to increase our understanding of the relation between the chromospheric changes and the changes in the eigenmodes. In parallel with the Kepler observations we have therefore started a programme at the Nordic Optical Telescope to observe and monitor chromospheric activity in the stars that are most likely to be selected for observations for the whole satellite mission. The ground-based observations presented here can be used both to guide the selection of the special Kepler targets and as the first step in a monitoring programme for stellar cycles. Also, the chromospheric activity measurements obtained from the ground-based observations can be compared with stellar parameters such as ages and rotation in order to improve stellar evolution models.Comment: submitted to the proceedings of the IAU symposium No. 264, 200

Bayesian Inference from Observations of Solar-Like Oscillations

Stellar oscillations can provide a wealth of information about a star, which can be extracted from observed time series of the star's brightness or radial velocity. In this paper we address the question of how to extract as much information as possible from such a dataset. We have developed a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) code that is able to infer the number of oscillation frequencies present in the signal and their values (with corresponding uncertainties), without having to fit the amplitudes and phases. Gaps in the data do not have any serious consequences for this method; in cases where severe aliasing exists, any ambiguity in the frequency determinations will be reflected in the results. It also allows us to infer parameters of the frequency pattern, such as the large separation Delta nu. We have previously applied this method to the star nu Indi (Bedding et al 2006), and here we describe the method fully and apply it to simulated datasets, showing that the code is able to give correct results even when some of the model assumptions are violated. In particular, the non-sinusoidal nature of the individual oscillation modes due to stochastic excitation and damping has no major impact on the usefulness of our approach.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap