Oscillations In Red Giant Stars Research Articles

Seismic and spectroscopic analysis of nine bright red giants observed by Kepler

ABSTRACT Photometric time series gathered by space telescopes such as CoRoT and Kepler allow to detect solar-like oscillations in red giant stars and to measure their global seismic constraints, which can be used to infer global stellar properties (e.g. masses, radii, and evolutionary states). Combining such precise constraints with photospheric abundances provides a means of testing mixing processes that occur inside red-giant stars. In this work, we conduct a detailed spectroscopic and seismic analysis of nine nearby (d < 200 pc) red giant stars observed by Kepler. Both seismic constraints and grid-based modelling approaches are used to determine precise fundamental parameters for those evolved stars. We compare distances and radii derived from Gaia Data Release 3 parallaxes with those inferred by a combination of seismic, spectroscopic, and photometric constraints. We find no deviations within errors bars, however the small sample size and the associated uncertainties are a limiting factor for such comparison. We use the period spacing of mixed modes to distinguish between ascending red-giants and red clump stars. Based on the evolutionary status, we apply corrections to the values of Δν for some stars, resulting in a slight improvement to the agreement between seismic and photometric distances. Finally, we couple constraints on detailed chemical abundances with the inferred masses, radii, and evolutionary states. Our results corroborate previous studies that show that observed abundances of lithium and carbon isotopic ratio are in contrast with predictions from standard models, giving robust evidence for the occurrence of additional mixing during the red-giant phase.

Inferring Coupling Strengths of Mixed-mode Oscillations in Red Giant Stars Using Deep Learning

Asteroseismology is a powerful tool that may be applied to shed light on stellar interiors and stellar evolution. Mixed modes, behaving like acoustic waves in the envelope and buoyancy modes in the core, are remarkable because they allow for probing the radiative cores and evanescent zones of red giant stars. Here, we have developed a neural network that can accurately infer the coupling strength, a parameter related to the size of the evanescent zone, of solar-like stars in ∼5 ms. In comparison with existing methods, we found that only ∼43% of inferences were in agreement with a difference less than 0.03 in a sample of ∼1700 Kepler red giants. To understand the origin of these differences, we analyzed a few of these stars using independent techniques such as the Monte Carlo Markov Chain method and echelle diagrams. Through our analysis, we discovered that these alternate techniques are supportive of the neural-net inferences. We also demonstrate that the network can be used to yield estimates of coupling strength and period spacing in stars with structural discontinuities. Our findings suggest that the rate of decline in the coupling strength in the red giant branch is greater than previously believed. These results are in closer agreement with calculations of stellar-evolution models than prior estimates, further underscoring the remarkable success of stellar evolution theory and computation. Additionally, we show that the uncertainty in measuring period spacing increases rapidly with diminishing coupling strength.

Gaussian process modelling of granulation and oscillations in red giant stars

ABSTRACTThe analysis of photometric time series in the context of transiting planet surveys suffers from the presence of stellar signals, often dubbed ‘stellar noise’. These signals, caused by stellar oscillations and granulation, can usually be disregarded for main-sequence stars, as the stellar contributions average out when phase-folding the light curve. For evolved stars, however, the amplitudes of such signals are larger and the timescales similar to the transit duration of short-period planets, requiring that they be modelled alongside the transit. With the promise of TESS delivering of the order of ∼105 light curves for stars along the red giant branch, there is a need for a method capable of describing the ‘stellar noise’ while simultaneously modelling an exoplanet’s transit. In this work, a Gaussian process regression framework is used to model stellar light curves and the method validated by applying it to TESS-like artificial data. Furthermore, the method is used to characterize the stellar oscillations and granulation of a sample of well-studied Kepler low-luminosity red giant branch stars. The parameters determined are compared to equivalent ones obtained by modelling the power spectrum of the light curve. Results show that the method presented is capable of describing the stellar signals in the time domain and can also return an accurate and precise measurement of νmax, i.e. the frequency of maximum oscillation amplitude. Preliminary results show that using the method in transit modelling improves the precision and accuracy of the ratio between the planetary and stellar radius, Rp/R⋆. The method’s implementation is publicly available.1

Modelling linewidths of Kepler red giants in NGC 6819

We present a comparison between theoretical, frequency-dependent, damping rates and linewidths of radial-mode oscillations in red-giant stars located in the open cluster NGC 6819. The calculations adopt a time-dependent non-local convection model, with the turbulent pressure profile being calibrated to results of 3D hydrodynamical simulations of stellar atmospheres. The linewidths are obtained from extensive peakbagging of Kepler lightcurves. These observational results are of unprecedented quality owing to the long continuous observations by Kepler. The uniqueness of the Kepler mission also means that, for asteroseismic properties, this is the best data that will be available for a long time to come. We therefore take great care in modelling nine RGB stars in NGC 6819 using information from 3D simulations to obtain realistic temperature stratifications and calibrated turbulent pressure profiles. Our modelled damping rates reproduce well the Kepler observations, including the characteristic depression in the linewidths around the frequency of maximum oscillation power. Furthermore, we thoroughly test the sensitivity of the calculated damping rates to changes in the parameters of the nonlocal convection model.

Convective-core Overshoot and Suppression of Oscillations: Constraints from Red Giants in NGC 6811

Abstract Using data from the NASA spacecraft Kepler, we study solar-like oscillations in red giant stars in the open cluster NGC 6811. We determine oscillation frequencies, frequency separations, period spacings of mixed modes, and mode visibilities for eight cluster giants. The oscillation parameters show that these stars are helium-core-burning red giants. The eight stars form two groups with very different oscillation power spectra; the four stars with the lowest Δν values display rich sets of mixed l = 1 modes, while this is not the case for the four stars with higher Δν. For the four stars with lowest Δν, we determine the asymptotic period spacing of the mixed modes, ΔP, which together with the masses we derive for all eight stars suggest that they belong to the so-called secondary clump. Based on the global oscillation parameters, we present initial theoretical stellar modeling that indicates that we can constrain convective-core overshoot on the main sequence and in the helium-burning phase for these ∼2 M ⊙ stars. Finally, our results indicate less mode suppression than predicted by recent theories for magnetic suppression of certain oscillation modes in red giants.

Torsional Alfvén resonances as an efficient damping mechanism for non-radial oscillations in red giant stars

Stars are self-gravitating fluids in which pressure, buoyancy, rotation and magnetic fields provide the restoring forces for global modes of oscillation. Pressure and buoyancy energetically dominate, while rotation and magnetism are generally assumed to be weak perturbations and often ignored. However, observations of anomalously weak dipole mode amplitudes in red giant stars suggest that a substantial fraction of these are subject to an additional source of damping localised to their core region, with indirect evidence pointing to the role of a deeply buried magnetic field. It is also known that in many instances the gravity-mode character of affected modes is preserved, but so far no effective damping mechanism has been proposed that accommodates this aspect. Here we present such a mechanism, which damps the oscillations of stars harbouring magnetised cores via resonant interactions with standing Alfv\'en modes of high harmonic index. The damping rates produced by this mechanism are quantitatively on par with those associated with turbulent convection, and in the range required to explain observations, for realistic stellar models and magnetic field strengths. Our results suggest that magnetic fields can provide an efficient means of damping stellar oscillations without needing to disrupt the internal structure of the modes, and lay the groundwork for an extension of the theory of global stellar oscillations that incorporates these effects.

Asymptotic analysis of dipolar mixed modes of oscillations in red giant stars

Abstract Dipolar modes of solar-like oscillations of red giant stars are analyzed asymptotically. Because of the high mass concentration in the helium core, the oscillations of the stars are composed of internal gravity waves in the core and acoustic waves in the envelope. The two types of oscillations interact with each other through a thin intermediate evanescent region to form an eigenmode of the mixed character. The process of the eigenmode formation is analyzed by assuming that the wavelength of the oscillations is much shorter than the scale height of the equilibrium stellar structure. Special care is paid to the following two points: (1) the effect of the perturbation to the gravitational potential is fully taken into account; (2) the interaction between the gravity waves in the core and the acoustic waves in the envelope can be strong. The condition that every eigenfrequency of the oscillations should satisfy is formulated. Also discussed are the amplitude ratio between the core and the envelope, and the transmission and reflection of the progressive-wave solutions at the intermediate evanescent region. The analysis should be of fundamental use in the interpretation of the observed solar-like oscillations in red giant stars.

OSCILLATING RED GIANTS OBSERVED DURING CAMPAIGN 1 OF THE KEPLER K2 MISSION: NEW PROSPECTS FOR GALACTIC ARCHAEOLOGY

NASA's re-purposed Kepler mission -- dubbed K2 -- has brought new scientific opportunities that were not anticipated for the original Kepler mission. One science goal that makes optimal use of K2's capabilities, in particular its 360-degree ecliptic field of view, is galactic archaeology -- the study of the evolution of the Galaxy from the fossil stellar record. The thrust of this research is to exploit high-precision, time-resolved photometry from K2 in order to detect oscillations in red giant stars. This asteroseismic information can provide estimates of stellar radius (hence distance), mass and age of vast numbers of stars across the Galaxy. Here we present the initial analysis of a subset of red giants, observed towards the North Galactic Gap, during the mission's first full science campaign. We investigate the feasibility of using K2 data for detecting oscillations in red giants that span a range in apparent magnitude and evolutionary state (hence intrinsic luminosity). We demonstrate that oscillations are detectable for essentially all cool giants within the $\log g$ range $\sim 1.9-3.2$. Our detection is complete down to $\mathit{Kp}\sim 14.5$, which results in a seismic sample with little or no detection bias. This sample is ideally suited to stellar population studies that seek to investigate potential shortcomings of contemporary Galaxy models.

Modelling transport processes in stellar interiors using asteroseismic data

In this contribution, the modelling of transport processes in stellar interiors is first presented. The impact of rotation, magnetic fields and internal gravity waves on the internal and global stellar properties are briefly described. We then discuss how asteroseismic measurements can help us constrain these transport processes, with a peculiar focus on the detection and characterization of solar-like oscillations in red-giant stars.

Amplitudes of solar-like oscillations in red giant stars

A growing number of solar-like oscillations has been detected in red giant stars thanks to CoRoT and Kepler space-crafts. The seismic data gathered by CoRoT on red giant stars allow us to test mode driving theory in physical conditions different from main-sequence stars. Using a set of 3D hydrodynamical models representative of the upper layers of sub- and red giant stars, we computed the acoustic mode energy supply rate (Pmax). Assuming adiabatic pulsations and using global stellar models that assume that the surface stratification comes from the 3D hydrodynamical models, we computed the mode amplitude in terms of surface velocity. This was converted into intensity fluctuations using either a simplified adiabatic scaling relation or a non-adiabatic one. From L and M (the luminosity and mass), the energy supply rate Pmax is found to scale as (L/M)^2.6 for both main-sequence and red giant stars, extending previous results. The theoretical amplitudes in velocity under-estimate the Doppler velocity measurements obtained so far from the ground for red giant stars by about 30%. In terms of intensity, the theoretical scaling law based on the adiabatic intensity-velocity scaling relation results in an under-estimation by a factor of about 2.5 with respect to the CoRoT seismic measurements. On the other hand, using the non-adiabatic intensity-velocity relation significantly reduces the discrepancy with the CoRoT data. The theoretical amplitudes remain 40% below, however, the CoRoT measurements. Our results show that scaling relations of mode amplitudes cannot be simply extended from main-sequence to red giant stars in terms of intensity on the basis of adiabatic relations because non-adiabatic effects for red giant stars are important and cannot be neglected. We discuss possible reasons for the remaining differences.

Oscillating red giants in the CoRoT exofield: asteroseismic mass and radius determination

<i>Context. <i/>Observations and analysis of solar-type oscillations in red-giant stars is an emerging aspect of asteroseismic analysis with a number of open questions yet to be explored. Although stochastic oscillations have previously been detected in red giants from both radial velocity and photometric measurements, those data were either too short or had sampling that was not complete enough to perform a detailed data analysis of the variability. The quality and quantity of photometric data as provided by the CoRoT satellite is necessary to provide a breakthrough in observing p-mode oscillations in red giants. We have analyzed continuous photometric time-series of about 11 400 relatively faint stars obtained in the <i>exofield<i/> of CoRoT during the first 150 days long-run campaign from May to October 2007. We find several hundred stars showing a clear power excess in a frequency and amplitude range expected for red-giant pulsators. In this paper we present first results on a sub-sample of these stars.<i>Aims. <i/>Knowing reliable fundamental parameters like mass and radius is essential for detailed asteroseismic studies of red-giant stars. As the CoRoT exofield targets are relatively faint (11-16 mag) there are no (or only weak) constraints on the stars' location in the H-R diagram. We therefore aim to extract information about such fundamental parameters solely from the available time series.<i>Methods. <i/>We model the convective background noise and the power excess hump due to pulsation with a global model fit and deduce reliable estimates for the stellar mass and radius from scaling relations for the frequency of maximum oscillation power and the characteristic frequency separation.<i>Results. <i/>We provide a simple method to estimate stellar masses and radii for stars exhibiting solar-type oscillations. Our method is tested on a number of known solar-type pulsators.

Multisite campaign on the open cluster M67 - II. Evidence for solar-like oscillations in red giant stars

Measuring solar-like oscillations in an ensemble of stars i n a cluster, holds promise for testing stellar structure and evolution more stringently than just fitting parameters to single field stars. The most ambitious attempt to pursue these prospects was by Gilliland et al. (1993) who targeted 11 turn-off stars in the open cluster M67 (NGC 2682), but the oscillation amplitudes were too small (< 20µmag) to obtain unambiguous detections. Like Gilliland et al. (1993) we also aim at detecting solar-like oscillations in M67, but we target red giant stars with expected amplitudes in the range 50‐500µmag and periods of 1 to 8 hours. We analyse our recently published photometry measurements, obtained during a six-week multisite campaign using nine telescopes around the world. The observations are compared with simulations and with estimated properties of the stellar oscillations. Noise le vels in the Fourier spectra as low as 27µmag are obtained for single sites, while the combined data reach 19µmag, making this the best photometric time series of an ensemble of red giant stars. These data enable us to make the first test of the scaling relations (used to estimate frequency and amplitude) with an homogeneous ensemble of stars. The detected excess power is consistent with the expected signal from stellar oscillations, both in terms of its frequ ency range and amplitude. However, our results are limited by apparent high levels of non-white noise, which cannot be clearly separated from the stellar signal.