243 research outputs found
Mode stability in delta Scuti stars: linear analysis versus observations in open clusters
A comparison between linear stability analysis and observations of pulsation
modes in five delta Scuti stars, belonging to the same cluster, is presented.
The study is based on the work by Michel et al. (1999), in which such a
comparison was performed for a representative set of model solutions obtained
independently for each individual star considered. In this paper we revisit the
work by Michel et al. (1999) following, however, a new approach which consists
in the search for a single, complete, and coherent solution for all the
selected stars, in order to constrain and test the assumed physics describing
these objects. To do so, refined descriptions for the effects of rotation on
the determination of the global stellar parameters and on the adiabatic
oscillation frequency computations are used. In addition, a crude attempt is
made to study the role of rotation on the prediction of mode instabilities.The
present results are found to be comparable with those reported by Michel et al.
(1999). Within the temperature range log T_eff = 3.87-3.88 agreement between
observations and model computations of unstable modes is restricted to values
for the mixing-length parameter alpha_nl less or equal to 1.50. This indicates
that for these stars a smaller value for alpha_nl is required than suggested
from a calibrated solar model. We stress the point that the linear stability
analysis used in this work still assumes stellar models without rotation and
that further developments are required for a proper description of the
interaction between rotation and pulsation dynamics.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. (MNRAS, in press
Asteroseismology of delta Scuti stars in open clusters: Praesepe
The present paper provides a general overview of the asteroseismic potential
of delta Scuti stars in clusters, in particular focusing on convection
diagnostics. We give a summarise of the last results obtained by the authors
for the Praesepe cluster of which five delta Scuti stars are analysed. In that
work, linear analysis is confronted with observations, using refined
descriptions for the effects of rotation on the determination of the global
stellar parameters and on the adiabatic oscillation frequency computations. A
single, complete, and coherent solution for all the selected stars is found,
which lead the authors to find important restrictions to the convection
description for a certain range of effective temperatures. Furthermore, the
method used allowed to give an estimate of the global parameters of the
selected stars and constrain the cluster.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Communications in
Asteroseismolog
NEAR-SURFACE EFFECTS IN MODELLING OSCILLATIONS OF ETA BOO
Following the report of solar-like oscillations in the G0 V star eta Boo
(Kjeldsen et al. 1995, AJ 109, 1313), a first attempt to model the observed
frequencies was made by Christensen-Dalsgaard et al. (1995, ApJ Letters, in
press). This attempt succeeded in reproducing the observed frequency
separations, although there remained a difference of about 10 microHz between
observed and computed frequencies. In those models, the near-surface region of
the star was treated rather crudely. Here we consider more sophisticated models
that include non-local mixing-length theory, turbulent pressure and
nonadiabatic oscillations.Comment: uuencoded and compressed Postscript (2 pages, including figure); To
appear in Proceedings of IAU Colloquium 155, "Astrophysical Applications of
Stellar Pulsation", Cape Town, South Afric
Excitation of solar-like oscillations across the HR diagram
We extend semi-analytical computations of excitation rates for solar
oscillation modes to those of other solar-like oscillating stars to compare
them with recent observations. Numerical 3D simulations of surface convective
zones of several solar-type oscillating stars are used to characterize the
turbulent spectra as well as to constrain the convective velocities and
turbulent entropy fluctuations in the uppermost part of the convective zone of
such stars. These constraints, coupled with a theoretical model for stochastic
excitation, provide the rate 'P' at which energy is injected into the p-modes
by turbulent convection. These energy rates are compared with those derived
directly from the 3D simulations. The excitation rates obtained from the 3D
simulations are systematically lower than those computed from the
semi-analytical excitation model. We find that Pmax, the excitation rate
maximum, scales as (L/M)^s where s is the slope of the power law and L and M
are the mass and luminosity of the 1D stellar model built consistently with the
associated 3D simulation. The slope is found to depend significantly on the
adopted form of the eddy time-correlation ; using a Lorentzian form results in
s=2.6, whereas a Gaussian one gives s=3.1. Finally, values of Vmax, the maximum
in the mode velocity, are estimated from the computed power laws for Pmax and
we find that Vmax increases as (L/M)^sv. Comparisons with the currently
available ground-based observations show that the computations assuming a
Lorentzian eddy time-correlation yield a slope, sv, closer to the observed one
than the slope obtained when assuming a Gaussian. We show that the spatial
resolution of the 3D simulations must be high enough to obtain accurate
computed energy rates.Comment: 14 pages ; 7 figures ; accepted for publication in Astrophysics &
Astronom
Pulsations detected in the line profile variations of red giants: Modelling of line moments, line bisector and line shape
Contents: So far, red giant oscillations have been studied from radial
velocity and/or light curve variations, which reveal frequencies of the
oscillation modes. To characterise radial and non-radial oscillations, line
profile variations are a valuable diagnostic. Here we present for the first
time a line profile analysis of pulsating red giants, taking into account the
small line profile variations and the predicted short damping and re-excitation
times. We do so by modelling the time variations in the cross correlation
profiles in terms of oscillation theory.
Aims: The performance of existing diagnostics for mode identification is
investigated for known oscillating giants which have very small line profile
variations. We modify these diagnostics, perform simulations, and characterise
the radial and non-radial modes detected in the cross correlation profiles.
Methods: Moments and line bisectors are computed and analysed for four
giants. The robustness of the discriminant of the moments against small
oscillations with finite lifetimes is investigated. In addition, line profiles
are simulated with short damping and re-excitation times and their line shapes
are compared with the observations.
Results: For three stars, we find evidence for the presence of non-radial
pulsation modes, while for Hydrae perhaps only radial modes are present.
Furthermore the line bisectors are not able to distinguish between different
pulsation modes and are an insufficient diagnostic to discriminate small line
profile variations due to oscillations from exoplanet motion.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted by A&
Solar-like oscillations in Procyon A
The F5 subgiant Procyon A (alpha CMi, HR 2943) was observed with the Coralie
fiber-fed echelle spectrograph on the 1.2-m Swiss telescope at La Silla in
February 1999. The resulting 908 high-accuracy radial velocities exhibit a mean
noise level in the amplitude spectrum of 0.11 m s^-1 at high frequency. These
measurements show significant excess in the power spectrum between 0.6-1.6 mHz
with 0.60 m s^-1 peak amplitude. An average large spacing of 55.5 uHz has been
determined and twenty-three individual frequencies have been identified.Comment: A&A accepte
Amplitudes and lifetimes of solar-like oscillations observed by CoRoT* Red-giant versus main-sequence stars
Context. The advent of space-borne missions such as CoRoT or Kepler providing
photometric data has brought new possibilities for asteroseismology across the
H-R diagram. Solar-like oscillations are now observed in many stars, including
red giants and main- sequence stars. Aims. Based on several hundred identified
pulsating red giants, we aim to characterize their oscillation amplitudes and
widths. These observables are compared with those of main-sequence stars in
order to test trends and scaling laws for these parameters for both
main-sequence stars and red giants. Methods. An automated fitting procedure is
used to analyze several hundred Fourier spectra. For each star, a modeled
spectrum is fitted to the observed oscillation spectrum, and mode parameters
are derived. Results. Amplitudes and widths of red-giant solar-like
oscillations are estimated for several hundred modes of oscillation. Amplitudes
are relatively high (several hundred ppm) and widths relatively small (very few
tenths of a {\mu}Hz). Conclusions. Widths measured in main-sequence stars show
a different variation with the effective temperature than red giants. A single
scaling law is derived for mode amplitudes of both red giants and main-sequence
stars versus their luminosity to mass ratio. However, our results suggest that
two regimes may also be compatible with the observations.Comment: Accepted in A&A on 2011 February 8th, now includes corrections
(results now more precise on \Gamma and A_max in Section 4.3 and 4.4, fig. 7
corrected consequently
Stellar Model Analysis of the Oscillation Spectrum of eta Bootis Obtained from MOST
Eight consecutive low-frequency radial p-modes are identified in the G0 IV
star eta Bootis based on 27 days of ultraprecise rapid photometry obtained by
the MOST (Microvariability & Oscillations of Stars) satellite. The MOST data
extend smoothly to lower overtones the sequence of radial p-modes reported in
earlier groundbased spectroscopy by other groups. The lower-overtone modes from
the MOST data constrain the interior structure of the model of eta Boo. With
the interior fit anchored by the lower-overtone modes seen by MOST, standard
models are not able to fit the higher-overtone modes with the same level of
accuracy. The discrepancy is similar to the discrepancy that exists between the
Sun's observed p-mode frequencies and the p-mode frequencies of the standard
solar model. This discrepancy promises to be a powerful constraint on models of
3D convection.Comment: 30 pages with 14 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Prospects for asteroseismology
The observational basis for asteroseismology is being dramatically
strengthened, through more than two years of data from the CoRoT satellite, the
flood of data coming from the Kepler mission and, in the slightly longer term,
from dedicated ground-based facilities. Our ability to utilize these data
depends on further development of techniques for basic data analysis, as well
as on an improved understanding of the relation between the observed
frequencies and the underlying properties of the stars. Also, stellar modelling
must be further developed, to match the increasing diagnostic potential of the
data. Here we discuss some aspects of data interpretation and modelling,
focussing on the important case of stars with solar-like oscillations.Comment: Proc. HELAS Workshop on 'Synergies between solar and stellar
modelling', eds M. Marconi, D. Cardini & M. P. Di Mauro, Astrophys. Space
Sci., in the press Revision: correcting abscissa labels on Figs 1 and
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