Surface layer independent model fitting by phase matching: theory and application to HD49933 an HD177153 (aka Perky)

Aims. To describe the theory of surface layer independent model fitting by phase matching and to apply this to the stars HD49933 observed by CoRoT, and HD177153 (aka Perky), observed by Kepler Methods. We use theoretical analysis, phase shifts, and model fitting. Results. We define the inner and outer phase shifts of a frequency set of a model star and show that the outer phase shifts are (almost) independent of degree $\ell$, and that a function of the inner phase shifts (the phase function) collapses to an $\ell$ independent function of frequency in the outer layers. We then show how to use this result in a model fitting technique to find a best fit model to an observed frequency set by calculating the inner phase shifts of a model using the observed frequencies and determining the extent to which the phase function collapses to a single function of frequency in the outer layers. We give two examples applying this technique to the frequency sets of HD49933 observed by CoRoT and HD177153 (aka Perky) observed by Kepler, and compare our results with those of previous studies and show that they are compatible with those obtained using different techniques. We show that there can be many different models that fit the data within the errors and that better precision on the frequencies is needed to discriminate between the models. We compare this technique to that using the ratios of small to large separations, showing that in principle it is more accurate and avoids the problem of correlated errors in separation ratio fitting.Comment: 9 pages 15 figure

On the use of the average large separation in surface layer independent model fitting

The physics of the outer layers of a star are not well understood but these layers make a major contribution to the large separation. We quantify this using stellar models and show that the contribution ranges from 6\% from the outer 0.1\% of the radius to 30\% from the outer 5\%. and therefore argue that the large separation should not be used as a constraint on surface layer independent model fitting. The mass and luminosity are independent of the outer layers and can be used as constraints, the mass being determined from binarity or from surface gravity and radius. The radius can be used as a constraint but with enhanced error estimates. We briefly consider the determination of the large separation for $\alpha$ Cen A and find that mass derived from surface gravity is closer to the binary mass than that derived from the large separation.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Anomalies in the Kepler Asteroseismic Legacy Project Data. A re-analysis of 16 Cyg A&B, KIC8379927 and 6 solar-like stars

I compare values of the frequencies, separation ratios, errors and covariance matrices from a new analysis of 9 solar-like stars with the Legacy project values reported by Lund et al and, for 16Cyg A&B and KIC8379927, with values derived by Davies et al. There is good agreement between my results (using Davies power spectra) and Davies's for these 3 stars, but no such agreement with the Legacy project results. My frequencies differ from the Legacy values, there are inconsistencies in the Legacy frequency covariance matrices which are not positive definite, and the Legacy errors on separation ratios are up to 40 times larger than mine and the values and upper limits derived from the Legacy frequency covariances. There are similar anomalies for 6 other solar-like stars: frequencies and separation ratio errors disagree and 2 have non positive definite covariance matrices. There are inconsistencies in the covariance matrices of 27 the 66 stars in the full Legacy set and problems with the ratio errors for the vast majority of these stars}Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Lasalocid awareness and sampling in Scotland

Lasalocid is an ionophore antibiotic extensively used as a coccidiostat in poultry production. Lasalocid should not be fed to egg-laying hens as it accumulates in the eggs, and residues have often been found in eggs. Other ionophores are toxic to humans, but the exact level of lasalocid toxicity to humans has not been established. Approximately 250 egg samples were analysed for lasalocid each year from the 10 billion eggs consumed annually in the UK. A census of the 32 Scottish Local Authority Environmental Health Departments assessed awareness of lasalocid residues in eggs, and the results indicated that awareness of lasalocid was very low and no local authorities tested for lasalocid. The example of lasalocid revealed weaknesses in the current sampling regime surrounding foods of animal origin. Conclusions are drawn that central government should raise awareness within local authorities and provide financial support on local authority sampling to achieve proper representation

Two meta-analyses of noncontact healing studies

Reviews of empirical work on the efficacy of noncontact healing have found that interceding on behalf of patients through prayer or by adopting various practices that incorporate an intention to heal can have some positive effect upon their wellbeing. However, reviewers have also raised concerns about study quality and the diversity of healing approaches adopted, which makes the findings difficult to interpret. Some of these concerns can be addressed by adopting a standardised approach based on the double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial, and a recent review restricted to such studies has reported a combined effect size of .40 (p < .001). However, the studies in this review involve human participants for whom there can be no guarantee that control patients are not beneficiaries of healing intentions from friends, family or their own religious groups. We proposed to address this by reviewing healing studies that involved biological systems other than ‘whole’ humans (i.e. to include animal and plant work but also work involving human biological matter such as blood samples or cell cultures), which are less susceptible to placebo and expectancy effects and also allow for more circumscribed outcome measures. Secondly, doubts have been cast concerning the legitimacy of some of the work included in previous reviews so we planned to conduct an updated review that excluded that work. For phase 1, 49 non-whole human studies from 34 papers were eligible for review. The combined effect size weighted by sample size yielded a highly significant r of .258. However the effect sizes in the database were heterogeneous, and outcomes correlated with blind ratings of study quality. When restricted to studies that met minimum quality thresholds, the remaining 22 studies gave a reduced but still significant weighted r of .115. For phase 2, 57 whole human studies across 56 papers were eligible for review. When combined, these studies yielded a small effect size of r = .203 that was also significant. This database was also heterogeneous, and outcomes were correlated with methodological quality ratings. However, when restricted to studies that met threshold quality levels the weighted effect size for the 27 surviving studies increased to r = .224. Taken together these results suggest that subjects in the active condition exhibit a significant improvement in wellbeing relative to control subjects under circumstances that do not seem to be susceptible to placebo and expectancy effects. Findings with the whole human database gave a smaller mean effect size but this was still significant and suggests that the effect is not dependent upon the previous inclusion of suspect studies and is robust enough to accommodate some high profile failures to replicate. Both databases show problems with heterogeneity and with study quality and recommendations are made for necessary standards for future replication attempts

Probing tiny convective cores with the acoustic modes of lowest degree

Solar-like oscillations are expected to be excited in stars of up to about 1.6 solar masses. Most of these stars will have convective cores during their Main-sequence evolution. At the edges of these convective cores there is a rapid variation in the sound speed which influences the frequencies of acoustic oscillations. In this paper we build on earlier work by Cunha and Metcalfe, to investigate further the impact that these rapid structural variations have on different p-mode frequency combinations, involving modes of low degree. In particular, we adopt a different expression to describe the sound speed variation at the edge of the core, which we show to reproduce more closely the profiles derived from the equilibrium models. We analyse the impact of this change on the frequency perturbation derived for radial modes. Moreover, we consider three different small frequency separations involving, respectively, modes of degree l = 0, 1, 2, 3; l = 0, 1; and l = 0, 2, and show that they are all significantly affected by the sharp sound speed variation at the edge of the core. In particular, we confirm that the frequency derivative of the diagnostic tool that combines modes of degree up to 3 can potentially be used to infer directly the amplitude of the relative sound speed variation at the edge of the core. Concerning the other two diagnostic tools, we show that at high frequencies they can be up to a few microhertzs smaller than what would be expected in the absence of the rapid structural variation at the edge of the core. Also, we show that the absolute values of their frequency derivatives are significantly increased, in a manner that is strongly dependent on stellar age.Comment: 7 pages. submitted to A&

On the use of the ratio of small to large separations in asteroseismic model fitting

Context. The use of ratios of small to large separations as a diagnostic of stellar interiors. Aims. To demonstrate that model fitting by comparing observed and model separation ratios at the same n values is in error, and to present a correct procedure. Methods. Theoretical analysis using phase shifts and numerical models. Results. We show that the separation ratios of stellar models with the same interior structure, but different outer layers, are not the same when compared at the same n values, but are the same when evaluated at the same frequencies by interpolation. The separation ratios trace the phase shift differences as a function of frequency not of n. We give examples from model fitting where the ratios at the same n values agree within the error estimates, but do not agree when evaluated at the same frequencies and the models do not have the same interior structure. The correct procedure is to compare observed ratios with those of models interpolated to the observed frequencies.Comment: 7 pages, 14 figures, 3 table

Seismic signature of envelope penetrative convection: the CoRoT star HD 52265

Aims: We aim at characterizing the inward transition from convective to radiative energy transport at the base of the convective envelope of the solar-like oscillator HD 52265 recently observed by the CoRoT satellite. Methods: We investigated the origin of one specific feature found in the HD 52265 frequency spectrum. We modelled the star to derive the internal structure and the oscillation frequencies that best match the observations and used a seismic indicator sensitive to the properties of the base of the envelope convection zone. Results: The seismic indicators clearly reveal that to best represent the observed properties of HD 52265, models must include penetrative convection below the outer convective envelope. The penetrative distance is estimated to be $\sim0.95 H_P$, which corresponds to an extent over a distance representing 6.0 per cents of the total stellar radius, significantly larger than what is found for the Sun. The inner boundary of the extra-mixing region is found at $0.800\pm0.004 R$ where $R=1.3 R_\odot$ is the stellar radius. Conclusions: These results contribute to the tachocline characterization in stars other than the Sun.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letter