Browsing by Subject "delta-scuti stars"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Carbon And Oxygen Abundances Across The Hertzsprung Gap(2014-08) Adamczak, Jens; Lambert, David L.; Adamczak, Jens; Lambert, David L.We derived atmospheric parameters and spectroscopic abundances for C and O for a large sample of stars located in the Hertzsprung gap in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in order to detect chemical peculiarities and get a comprehensive overview of the population of stars in this evolutionary state. We have observed and analyzed high-resolution spectra (R = 60,000) of 188 stars in the mass range 2-5M(circle dot) with the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the McDonald Observatory including 28 stars previously identified as Am/Ap stars. We find that the C and O abundances of the majority of stars in the Hertzsprung gap are in accordance with abundances derived for local lower-mass dwarfs but detect expected peculiarities for the Am/Ap stars. The C and O abundances of stars with T-eff < 6500 K are slightly lower than for the hotter objects but the C/O ratio is constant in the analyzed temperature domain. No indication of an alteration of the C and O abundances of the stars by mixing during the evolution across the Hertzsprung gap could be found before the homogenization of their atmospheres by the first dredge-up.Item Detection Of High-Degree Prograde Sectoral Mode Sequences In The A-Star Kic 8054146?(2013-08) Breger, Michel; Lenz, P.; Pamyatnykh, A. A.; Breger, MichelThis paper examines the 46 frequencies found in the delta Sct star KIC 8054146 involving a frequency spacing of exactly 2.814 cycles day(-1) (32.57 mu Hz), which is also a dominant low-frequency peak near or equal to the rotational frequency. These 46 frequencies range up to 146 cycles day(-1). Three years of Kepler data reveal distinct sequences of these equidistantly spaced frequencies, including the basic sequence and side lobes associated with other dominant modes (i.e., small amplitude modulations). The amplitudes of the basic sequence show a high-low pattern. The basic sequence follows the equation f(m) = 2.8519 + m * 2.81421 cycles day(-1) with m ranging from 25 to 35. The zero-point offset and the lack of low-order harmonics eliminate an interpretation in terms of a Fourier series of a non-sinusoidal light curve. The exactness of the spacing eliminates high-order asymptotic pulsation. The frequency pattern is not compatible with simple hypotheses involving single or multiple spots, even with differential rotation. The basic high-frequency sequence is interpreted in terms of prograde sectoral modes. These can be marginally unstable, while their corresponding low-degree counterparts are stable due to stronger damping. The measured projected rotation velocity (300 km s(-1)) indicates that the star rotates with greater than or similar to 70% of the Keplerian break-up velocity. This suggests a near equator-on view. We qualitatively examine the visibility of prograde sectoral high-degree g-modes in integrated photometric light in such a geometrical configuration and find that prograde sectoral modes can reproduce the frequencies and the odd-even amplitude pattern of the high-frequency sequence.Item Evidence Of Resonant Mode Coupling And The Relationship Between Low And High Frequencies In A Rapidly Rotating A Star(2014-03) Breger, Michel; Montgomery, Michael H.; Breger, Michel; Montgomery, Michael H.In the theory of resonant mode coupling, the parent and child modes are directly related in frequency and phase. The oscillations present in the fast rotating delta Sct star KIC 8054146 allow us to test the most general and generic aspects of such a theory. The only direct way to separate the parent and coupled (child) modes is to examine the correlations in amplitude variability between the different frequencies. For the dominant family of related frequencies, only a single mode and a triplet are the origins of nine dominant frequency peaks ranging from 2.93 to 66.30 cycles day(-1) (as well as dozens of small-amplitude combination modes and a predicted and detected third high-frequency triplet). The mode-coupling model correctly predicts the large amplitude variations of the coupled modes as a product of the amplitudes of the parent modes, while the phase changes are also correctly modeled. This differs from the behavior of " (n)ormal" combination frequencies in that the amplitudes are three orders of magnitude larger and may exceed even the amplitudes of the parent modes. We show that two dominant low frequencies at 5.86 and 2.93 cycles day(-1) in the gravity-mode region are not harmonics of each other, and their properties follow those of the almost equidistant high-frequency triplet. We note that the previously puzzling situation of finding two strong peaks in the low-frequency region related by nearly a factor of two in frequency has been seen in other delta Sct stars as well.Item The Kepler Characterization Of The Variability Among A- And F-Type Stars I. General Overview(2011-10) Uytterhoeven, K.; Moya, A.; Grigahcene, A.; Guzik, J. A.; Gutierrez-Soto, J.; Smalley, B.; Handler, G.; Balona, L. A.; Niemczura, E.; Machado, L. F.; Benatti, S.; Chapellier, E.; Tkachenko, A.; Szabo, R.; Suarez, J. C.; Ripepi, V.; Pascual, J.; Mathias, P.; Martin-Ruiz, S.; Lehmann, H.; Jackiewicz, J.; Hekker, S.; Gruberbauer, M.; Garcia, R. A.; Dumusque, X.; Diaz-Fraile, D.; Bradley, P.; Antoci, V.; Roth, M.; Leroy, B.; Murphy, S. J.; De Cat, P.; Cuypers, J.; Kjeldsen, H.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Breger, M.; Pigulski, A.; Kiss, L. L.; Still, M.; Thompson, S. E.; Van Cleve, J.; Breger, MContext. The Kepler spacecraft is providing time series of photometric data with micromagnitude precision for hundreds of A-F type stars. Aims. We present a first general characterization of the pulsational behaviour of A-F type stars as observed in the Kepler light curves of a sample of 750 candidate A-F type stars, and observationally investigate the relation between gamma Doradus (gamma Dor), delta Scuti (delta Sct), and hybrid stars. Methods. We compile a database of physical parameters for the sample stars from the literature and new ground-based observations. We analyse the Kepler light curve of each star and extract the pulsational frequencies using different frequency analysis methods. We construct two new observables, >energy> and >efficiency>, related to the driving energy of the pulsation mode and the convective efficiency of the outer convective zone, respectively. Results. We propose three main groups to describe the observed variety in pulsating A-F type stars: gamma Dor, delta Sct, and hybrid stars. We assign 63% of our sample to one of the three groups, and identify the remaining part as rotationally modulated/active stars, binaries, stars of different spectral type, or stars that show no clear periodic variability. 23% of the stars (171 stars) are hybrid stars, which is a much higher fraction than what has been observed before. We characterize for the first time a large number of A-F type stars (475 stars) in terms of number of detected frequencies, frequency range, and typical pulsation amplitudes. The majority of hybrid stars show frequencies with all kinds of periodicities within the gamma Dor and delta Sct range, also between 5 and 10 d(-1), which is a challenge for the current models. We find indications for the existence of delta Sct and gamma Dor stars beyond the edges of the current observational instability strips. The hybrid stars occupy the entire region within the delta Sct and gamma Dor instability strips and beyond. Non-variable stars seem to exist within the instability strips. The location of gamma Dor and delta Sct classes in the (T-eff, log g)-diagram has been extended. We investigate two newly constructed variables, >efficiency> and >energy>, as a means to explore the relation between gamma Dor and delta Sct stars. Conclusions. Our results suggest a revision of the current observational instability strips of delta Sct and gamma Dor stars and imply an investigation of pulsation mechanisms to supplement the kappa mechanism and convective blocking effect to drive hybrid pulsations. Accurate physical parameters for all stars are needed to confirm these findings.Item Pulsation Analysis And Its Impact On Primary Transit Modeling In WASP-33(2014-01) von Essen, C.; Czesla, S.; Wolter, U.; Breger, M.; Herrero, E.; Mallonn, M.; Ribas, I.; Strassmeier, K. G.; Morales, J. C.; Breger, M.Aims. To date, WASP-33 is the only delta Scuti star known to be orbited by a hot Jupiter. The pronounced stellar pulsations, showing periods comparable to the primary transit duration, interfere with the transit modeling. Therefore our main goal is to study the pulsation spectrum of the host star to redetermine the orbital parameters of the system by means of pulsation-cleaned primary transit light curves. Methods. Between August 2010 and October 2012 we obtained 457 h of photometry of WASP-33 using small and middle-class telescopes located mostly in Spain and in Germany. Our observations comprise the wavelength range between the blue and the red, and provide full phase coverage of the planetary orbit. After a careful detrend, we focus our pulsation studies in the high frequency regime, where the pulsations that mostly deform the primary transit exist. Results. The data allow us to identify, for the first time in the system, eight significant pulsation frequencies. The pulsations are likely associated with low-order p-modes. Furthermore, we find that pulsation phases evolve in time. We use our knowledge of the pulsations to clean the primary transit light curves and carry out an improved transit modeling. Surprisingly, taking into account the pulsations in the modeling has little influence on the derived orbital parameters. However, the uncertainties in the best-fit parameters decrease. Additionally, we find indications for a possible dependence between wavelength and transit depth, but only with marginal significance. A clear pulsation solution, in combination with an accurate orbital period, allows us to extend our studies and search for star-planet interactions (SPI). Although we find no conclusive evidence of SPI, we believe that the pulsation nature of the host star and the proximity between members make WASP-33 a promising system for further SPI studies.