Kepler Light Curve Of KIC Research Articles

Asteroseismology of KIC 8263801: Is It a Member of NGC 6866 and a Red Clump Star?

Abstract We present an asteroseismic analysis of the Kepler light curve of KIC 8263801, a red-giant star in the open cluster NGC 6866 that has previously been reported to be a helium-burning red-clump (RC) star. We extracted the frequencies of the radial and quadrupole modes from its frequency power spectrum and determined its properties using a grid of evolutionary models constructed with MESA. The oscillation frequencies were calculated using the GYRE code and the surface term was corrected using the Ball & Gizon prescription. We find that the star has a mass of M/M ⊙ = 1.793 ± 0.072, age t = 1.48 ± 0.21 Gyr, and radius R/R ⊙ = 10.53 ± 0.28. By analyzing the internal structure of the best-fitting model, we infer the evolutionary status of the star KIC 8263801 as being on the ascending part of the red-giant branch, and not on the RC. This result is verified using a purely asteroseismic diagnostic, the ϵ c − Δν c diagram which can distinguish red-giant branch stars from red-clump stars. Finally, by comparing its age with NGC 6866 (t = 0.65 ± 0.1 Gyr), we conclude that KIC 8263801 is not a member of this open cluster.

KIC 4739791: A NEW R CMa-TYPE ECLIPSING BINARY WITH A PULSATING COMPONENT

ABSTRACT The Kepler light curve of KIC 4739791 exhibits partial eclipses, the inverse O’Connell effect, and multiperiodic pulsations. Including a starspot on either of the binary components, the light-curve synthesis indicates that KIC 4739791 is in detached or semi-detached configuration with both a short orbital period and a low mass ratio. Multiple frequency analyses were performed in the light residuals after subtracting the binarity effects from the original Kepler data. We detected 14 frequencies: 6 in the low-frequency region (0.1−2.3 days−1) and 8 in the high-frequency region (18.2−22.0 days−1). Among these, six high frequencies with amplitudes of 0.62−1.97 mmag were almost constant over time for 200 days. Their pulsation periods and pulsation constants are in the ranges of 0.048−0.054 days and 0.025−0.031 days, respectively. In contrast, the other frequencies may arise from the alias effects caused by the orbital frequency or combination frequencies. We propose that KIC 4739791 is a short-period R CMa binary with the lowest mass ratio in the known classical Algols and that its primary component is a δ Sct pulsating star. Only four R CMa stars have been identified, three of which exhibit δ Sct-type oscillations. These findings make KIC 4739791 an attractive target for studies of stellar interior structure and evolution.

KIC 4552982: OUTBURSTS AND ASTEROSEISMOLOGY FROM THE LONGEST PSEUDO-CONTINUOUS LIGHT CURVE OF A ZZ Ceti

We present the Kepler light curve of KIC 4552982, the first ZZ Ceti (hydrogen-atmosphere pulsating white dwarf star) discovered in the Kepler field of view. Our data span more than 1.5 years with a 86% duty cycle, making it the longest pseudo-continuous light curve ever recorded for a ZZ Ceti. This extensive data set provides the most complete coverage to-date of amplitude and frequency variations in a cool ZZ Ceti. We detect 20 independent frequencies of variability in the data that we compare with asteroseismic models to demonstrate that this star has a mass M$_*$ > 0.6 M$_{\rm Sun}$. We identify a rotationally split pulsation mode and derive a probable rotation period for this star of 17.47 $\pm$ 0.04 hr. In addition to pulsation signatures, the Kepler light curve exhibits sporadic, energetic outbursts that increase the star's relative flux by 2-17%, last 4-25 hours, and recur on an average timescale of 2.7 days. These are the first detections of a new dynamic white dwarf phenomenon that we believe may be related to the pulsations of this relatively cool (T$_{\rm eff}$ = 10,860 $\pm$ 120 K) ZZ Ceti star near the red edge of the instability strip.

Analysis of a Kepler Light Curve of the Novalike Cataclysmic Variable KIC 8751494

Abstract We analyzed a Kepler light curve of KIC 8751494, a recently recognized novalike cataclysmic variable in the Kepler field. We detected a stable periodicity of 0.114379(1) d, which we identified as being the binary’s orbital period. The stronger photometric period at around 0.12245 d, which had been detected from a ground-based observation, was found to be variable, and we identified this period as the positive-superhump period. This superhump period showed short-term (10–20 d) strong variations in period most unexpectedly when the object entered a slightly faint state. The fractional superhump excess varied by as much large as $\sim$ 30%. The variation of the period very well traced the variation of the brightness of the system. The time-scale of this variation of superhump periods was too slow to be interpreted as a variation caused by a change of the disk radius due to thermal disk instability. We interpreted the cause of the period variation as a varying pressure effect on the period of positive superhumps. This finding suggests that the pressure effect, in at least novalike systems, plays a very important (up to $\sim$ 30% in the precession rate) role in producing the period of positive superhumps. We also described a possible detection of negative superhumps with a varying period of 0.1071–0.1081 d in the Q14 run of the Kepler data, and found that the variation of frequency of negative superhumps followed that of positive superhumps. The relation between the fractional superhump excesses of negative and positive superhumps can be understood if the angular frequency of positive superhumps is decreased by a pressure effect. We also found that the phase of the variation in the velocity of the emission lines reported in the earlier study is compatible with the SW Sex-type classification. Further, we introduced a new two-dimentional period analysis using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso), and showed superior advantages of this method.

KIC 10486425: A Kepler eclipsing binary system with a pulsating component

AbstractWe present frequency analysis of the Kepler light curve of KIC 10486425, an eclipsing binary system with a pulsating component. The parameters of the binary were obtained by modelling the light curve with the Wilson-Devinney program. The residuals from this modelling were subject to Fourier analysis which allowed us to detect 120 periodic terms characteristic for γ Dor-type pulsations. The dominant frequency of these changes amounts to 1.3189 d−1.

PLANET HUNTERS: A TRANSITING CIRCUMBINARY PLANET IN A QUADRUPLE STAR SYSTEM

We report the discovery and confirmation of a transiting circumbinary planet (PH1b) around KIC 4862625, an eclipsing binary in the Kepler field. The planet was discovered by volunteers searching the first six Quarters of publicly available Kepler data as part of the Planet Hunters citizen science project. Transits of the planet across the larger and brighter of the eclipsing stars are detectable by visual inspection every ~137 days, with seven transits identified in Quarters 1-11. The physical and orbital parameters of both the host stars and planet were obtained via a photometric-dynamical model, simultaneously fitting both the measured radial velocities and the Kepler light curve of KIC 4862625. The 6.18 +/- 0.17 Earth radii planet orbits outside the 20-day orbit of an eclipsing binary consisting of an F dwarf (1.734 +/- 0.044 Solar radii, 1.528 +/- 0.087 Solar masses) and M dwarf (0.378+/- 0.023 Solar radii, 0.408 +/- 0.024 Solar masses). For the planet, we find an upper mass limit of 169 Earth masses (0.531 Jupiter masses) at the 99.7% confidence level. With a radius and mass less than that of Jupiter, PH1b is well within the planetary regime. Outside the planet's orbit, at ~1000 AU,a previously unknown visual binary has been identified that is likely bound to the planetary system, making this the first known case of a quadruple star system with a transiting planet.

KIC 4247791: a SB4 system with two eclipsing binaries (2EBs)

KIC 4247791 is an eclipsing binary observed by the Kepler satellite mission. We wish to determine the nature of its components and in particular the origin of a shallow dip in its Kepler light curve that previous investigations have been unable to explain in a unique way. We analyze newly obtained high-resolution spectra of the star using synthetic spectra based on atmosphere models, derive the radial velocities of the stellar components from cross-correlation with a synthetic template, and calculate the orbital solution. We use the JKTEBOP program to model the Kepler light curve of KIC 4247791. We find KIC 4247791 to be a SB4 star. The radial velocity variations of its four components can be explained by two separate eclipsing binaries. In contradiction to previous photometric findings, we show that the observed composite spectrum as well as the derived masses of all four of its components correspond to spectral type F. The observed small dip in the light curve is not caused by a transit-like phenomenon but by the eclipses of the second binary system. We find evidence that KIC 4247791 might belong to the very rare hierarchical SB4 systems with two eclipsing binaries.