Amplitude and frequency modulations of oscillation modes in hot B subdwarf and white dwarf stars from Kepler photometry

Les interactions non linéaires entre modes de pulsation, induisant des modulations d'amplitude et de fréquence, sont difficiles à mettre en évidence avec les télescopes au sol en raison des temps caractéristiques en jeu, de l'ordre de la semaine, du mois, ou même de l'année. L'avènement des télescopes spatiaux comme KEPLER (opéré par la NASA) a considérablement changé la donne en apportant de nouvelles données pour ce domaine de recherche. Dans cette thèse, nous analysons les données photométriques obtenues avec KEPLER pour 24 étoiles compactes pulsantes, incluant 18 étoiles sous-naines de type B (sdB) et 6 naines blanches. Nous établissons que les modulations d'amplitude et de fréquence des modes d'oscillation sont un phénomène courant dans ces étoiles. Nous étudions en particulier deux étoiles : KIC 0862602, une naine blanche pulsante de type DB, et KIC 10139564, une étoile sdB variable à courtes périodes. KIC 0862602 et KIC 10139564 ont été observées sans interruption par KEPLER en cadence rapide pendant deux années pour la première et plus de trois ans pour la seconde. En analysant en détail ces données photométriques de très haute précision, nous mettons en évidence différents types de comportements affectant les composantes de triplets induits par la rotation stellaire. Les fréquences et amplitudes de ces modes montrent des variations soi périodiques soi irrégulières, ou demeurent constantes. Ces comportements peuvent être connectés à ceux prédits par les équations d'amplitude dans le cas de couplages non linéaires résonants entre modes, en particulier pour les temps caractéristiques des modulations. De plus, nous montrons que les modes en résonance constituant les triplets peuvent également interagir avec des modes extérieurs par le biais d'autres formes de résonances telle que la résonance à trois modes v 0 ~ v 1 + v 2 , une situation qui n'est pas prise en compte dans le cadre théorique existant. Ces études apportent pour la première fois une preuve claire de l'existence de mécanismes de couplages non linéaires entre modes d'oscillations dans les pulsateurs compacts. Cette découverte résonne comme un avertissement pour les projets visant à mesurer les taux de changement des périodes dus à l'évolution dans les étoiles compactes en général. Les modulations de fréquence d'origine non linéaire peuvent potentiellement empêcher toute mesure fiable de ces taux, à moins de corriger ces effets auparavant. Les modulations observées caractérisées dans cette thèse apportent un regard nouveau sur "l'astérosismologie non linéaire" et appellent à revisiter les méthodes d'analyse des courbes de lumière pour en extraire les modes d'amplitude et de fréquence variables. Dans un futur proche, nous anticipons davantage d'attention portée à ces phénomènes non inéaires dans différents types d'étoiles pulsantes observées depuis l'espace, ainsi qu'un regain d'intérêt pour la théorie non linéaire des oscillations stellaires en général.Nonlinear mode interactions, inducing amplitude and frequency modulations, are difficult to observe from ground-based telescopes as these typical timescales of the modulations are of the order of weeks, months, or even years. The launch of space telescopes such as Kepler (operated by NASA) has tremendously changed the situation by providing new data for this research field. In this thesis, we analyze the Kepler photometric data observed for 24 compact pulsators, including 18 hot B subdwarf (sdB) stars and six white dwarf stars. We find that it is a common phenomenon that oscillation modes in these pulsating stars show amplitude and/or frequency variations. We focus in particular on two stars, KIC 08626021, a DB white dwarf, and KIC 10139564, a short period sdB star. KIC 08626021 and KIC 10139564 have been monitored by Kepler in short-cadence mode for nearly two years and more than three years without interruption, respectively. By analyzing in depth these high-quality photometric data, we find that the modes within triplets induced by rotation clearly reveal different types of behaviors : their frequency and amplitude may exhibit either periodic or irregular modulations, or remain constant. These various behaviors can be linked to those predicted within the amplitude equation formalism in the case of the nonlinear resonant mode coupling mechanism, particularly for the modulation timescales. Furthermore, we find that the triplet resonance modes can also interact with outside modes through other types of resonances such as the three-mode resonance v 0 ~ v 1 + v 2 , which is not considered within the current nonlinear theoretical frameworks. These findings constitute the first clear evidence of nonlinear resonant mode couplings occurring in compact pulsators. This should resonate as a warning to projects aiming at measuring the evolutionary change rate of pulsation periods in compact stars in general. Nonlinear modulations of the frequencies can potentially jeopardize any attempt to measure reliably such rates, unless they can be corrected beforehand. The observed modulations characterized in this thesis provide new insights to "nonlinear asteroseismology" and call for new methods to process the signals of variable modes from the observed light curves. We foresee that increasing attention will focus on these nonlinear phenomena in various types of pulsating stars observed from space in the near future, thus reviving interest in the nonlinear oscillation theory in general

A Study of Pulsation properties of 57 Non-Blazhko effect ab-type RR Lyrae stars with homogeneous metallicities from the LAMOST-Kepler/K2 survey

Homogeneous metallicities and continuous high-precision light curves play key roles in studying the pulsation properties of RR Lyrae stars. By cross-matching with LAMOST DR6, we have determined 7 and 50 Non-Blazhko RRab stars in the Kepler and K2 fields, respectively, who have homogeneous metallicities determined from low-resolution spectra of the LAMOST-Kepler/K2 project. The Fourier Decomposition method is applied to the light curves of these stars provided by the Kepler space based telescope to determine the fundamental pulsation periods and the pulsation parameters. The calculated amplitude ratios of R21, R31 and the phase differences of {\phi}21, {\phi}31 are consistent with the parameters of the RRab stars in both the Globular Clusters and the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find a linear relationship between the phase differences {\phi}21 and {\phi}31, which is in good agreement with the results in previous literature. As far as the amplitude, we find that the amplitude of primary frequency A1 and the total amplitude Atot follow either a cubic or linear relationship. For the rise time RT, we do not find its relevance with the period of the fundamental pulsation mode P1, or Atot and {\phi}21. However, it might follow a linear relationship with R31. Based on the homogeneous metallicities, we have derived a new calibration formula for the relationship of period-{\phi}31-[Fe/H], which agrees well with the previous studies

Planets Across Space and Time (PAST). III. Morphology of the Planetary Radius Valley as a Function of Stellar Age and Metallicity in the Galactic Context Revealed by the LAMOST-Gaia-Kepler Sample

The radius valley, a dip in the radius distribution of exoplanets at ~1.9 Earth radii separates compact rocky Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes with lower density. Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the radius valley. Characterizing the radius valley morphology and its correlation to stellar properties will provide crucial observation constraints on its origin mechanism and deepen the understanding of planet formation and evolution. In this paper, the third part of the Planets Across the Space and Time (PAST) series, using the LAMOST-Gaia-Kepler catalog, we perform a systematical investigation into how the radius valley morphology varies in the Galactic context, i.e., thin/thick galactic disks, stellar age and metallicity abundance ([Fe/H] and [alpha/Fe]). We find that (1) The valley becomes more prominent with the increase of both age and [Fe/H]. (2) The number ratio of super-Earths to sub-Neptunes monotonically increases with age but decreases with [Fe/H] and [alpha/Fe]. (3) The average radius of planets above the valley (2.1-6 Earth radii) decreases with age but increases with [Fe/H]. (4) In contrast, the average radius of planets below the valley (R < 1.7 Earth radii) is broadly independent on age and metallicity. Our results demonstrate that the valley morphology as well as the whole planetary radius distribution evolves on a long timescale of giga-years, and metallicities (not only Fe but also other metal elements, e.g., Mg, Si, Ca, Ti) play important roles in planet formation and in the long term planetary evolution.Comment: Accepted for pubilication in AJ, 20 Pages, 10 figures, 2 Tables (Appendix: 13 Figures

Planets Across Space and Time (PAST) IV: The Occurrence and Architecture of Kepler Planetary Systems as a Function of Kinematic Age Revealed by the LAMOST-Gaia-Kepler Sample

One of the fundamental questions in astronomy is how planetary systems form and evolve. Measuring the planetary occurrence and architecture as a function of time directly addresses this question. In the fourth paper of the Planets Across Space and Time (PAST) series, we investigate the occurrence and architecture of Kepler planetary systems as a function of kinematic age by using the LAMOST-Gaia-Kepler sample. To isolate the age effect, other stellar properties (e.g., metallicity) have been controlled. We find the following results. (1) The fraction of stars with Kepler-like planets ($F_{\text{Kep}}$) is about 50% for all stars; no significant trend is found between $F_{\text{Kep}}$ and age. (2) The average planet multiplicity ($\bar{N}_p$) exhibits a decreasing trend (~2$\sigma$ significance) with age. It decreases from $\bar{N}_p$~3 for stars younger than 1 Gyr to $\bar{N}_p$~1.8 for stars about 8 Gyr. (3) The number of planets per star ($\eta=F_{\text{Kep}}\times\bar{N}_p$) also shows a decreasing trend (~2-3$\sigma$ significance). It decreases from $\eta$~1.6-1.7 for young stars to $\eta$~1.0 for old stars. (4) The mutual orbital inclination of the planets ($\sigma_{i,k}$) increases from $1.2^{+1.4}_{-0.5}$ to $3.5^{+8.1}_{-2.3}$ as stars aging from 0.5 to 8 Gyr with a best fit of $\log{\sigma_{i,k}}=0.2+0.4\times\log{\frac{\text{Age}}{\text{1Gyr}}}$. Interestingly, the Solar System also fits such a trend. The nearly independence of $F_{\text{Kep}}$~50% on age implies that planet formation is robust and stable across the Galaxy history. The age dependence of $\bar{N}_p$ and $\sigma_{i,k}$ demonstrates planetary architecture is evolving, and planetary systems generally become dynamically hotter with fewer planets as they age.Comment: 27 pages, 20 figures, 4tables, accepted for publication in A

LAMOST Observations in 15 \textit{K}2 Campaigns: I. Low resolution spectra from LAMOST DR6

The LAMOST-\textit{K}2 (L\textit{K}2) project, initiated in 2015, aims to collect low-resolution spectra of targets in the \textit{K}2 campaigns, similar to LAMOST-\textit{Kepler} project. By the end of 2018, a total of 126 L\textit{K}2 plates had been observed by LAMOST. After cross-matching the catalog of the LAMOST data release 6 (DR6) with that of the \textit{K}2 approved targets, we found 160,619 usable spectra of 84,012 objects, most of which had been observed more than once. The effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and radial velocity from 129,974 spectra for 70,895 objects are derived through the LAMOST Stellar Parameter Pipeline (LASP). The internal uncertainties were estimated to be 81 K, 0.15 dex, 0.09 dex and 5 kms$^{-1}$, respectively, when derived from a spectrum with a signal-to-noise ratio in the $g$ band (SNR$_g$) of 10. These estimates are based on results for targets with multiple visits. The external accuracies were assessed by comparing the parameters of targets in common with the APOGEE and GAIA surveys, for which we generally found linear relationships. A final calibration is provided, combining external and internal uncertainties for giants and dwarfs, separately. We foresee that these spectroscopic data will be used widely in different research fields, especially in combination with \textit{K}2 photometry.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables, accepted by ApJ