arXiv subjects

Conny Aerts

Publications and source records attributed to Conny Aerts.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Mixing due to internal gravity waves can explain the CNO surface abundances of B-type detached eclipsing binaries and single stars

Observations of double-lined spectroscopic eclipsing binaries are ideal to study stellar evolution. They have tight model-independent constraints on their masses and radii. With the addition of spectroscopically determined effective temperatures and surface abundances, they can be used to calibrate and improve models. Here we determine whether the observed trends of surface nitrogen abundance in single and binary stars can be explained by wave-induced mixing occurring in the stellar envelope. We use MESA to run the simulations. We compare the outcome of the models to observations of the surface nitrogen abundance for samples of detached eclipsing binary systems and of single B-type stars. From this we determine the amount of wave-induced mixing required to bring the model predictions in agreement with the observations. We find nitrogen to be enriched at the surface of theoretical models with wave-induced mixing provided that we use levels above log(Denv)=5-6 at the convective core boundary. A prominent observation is that the B-type components of detached eclipsing binaries do not show any nitrogen surface enhancement, which can be explained by their relatively fast rotation enforced by the tidal forces in the systems. The slowly rotating or evolved stars among the sample of single B stars do reveal a nitrogen enhancement. Our findings on the difference between single B stars and B-type components of detached binary systems can potentially be explained by internal wave-induced mixing profiles based on recent 2-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of rotating B stars. Such wave-induced mixing decreases with increasing rotation and may act in combination with additional rotational mixing. Our findings motivate future asteroseismic studies in samples of single B stars and pulsating eclipsing binaries with B-type components as optimal laboratories to further test our interpretations.

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arXiv2025

Observational mapping of the mass discrepancy in eclipsing binaries. A new self-contained framework for concurrent analysis of photometric and spectroscopic time series

The mass discrepancy problem, observed in high-mass stars within eclipsing binaries, highlights systematic differences between dynamical and evolutionary mass estimates, challenging the accuracy of stellar evolution models. We aim to determine whether analysis methods directly contribute to this discrepancy and to assess how methodological improvements might reduce or clarify it. To address this, we developed a new self-contained framework that simultaneously models the photometric and spectroscopic data, minimising biases introduced by traditional iterative approaches and enabling consistent parameter optimisation. We present this framework alongside validation tests on synthetic data and demonstrate its application to three well-studied observed binaries, including one system known for its pronounced mass discrepancy. The framework recovers multiple viable solutions from distinct local minima, including one that reduces the mass discrepancy. These results illustrate how methodological biases, rather than evolutionary model assumptions, can contribute to the mass discrepancy problem. We further highlight that external constraints, such as independent distance estimates or evolutionary models, may be necessary to distinguish between degenerate solutions. Expanding this analysis to a larger sample will provide a more complete understanding, with forthcoming results in the next paper in this series.

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arXiv2025

Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V: Pioneering Panoptic Spectroscopy

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) is pioneering panoptic spectroscopy: it is the first all-sky, multi-epoch, optical-to-infrared spectroscopic survey. SDSS-V is mapping the sky with multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) at telescopes in both hemispheres (the 2.5-m Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point Observatory and the 100-inch du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory), where 500 zonal robotic fiber positioners feed light from a wide-field focal plane to an optical (R$\sim 2000$, 500 fibers) and a near-infrared (R$\sim 22,000$, 300 fibers) spectrograph. In addition to these MOS capabilities, the survey is pioneering ultra wide-field ($\sim$ 4000~deg$^2$) integral field spectroscopy enabled by a new dedicated facility (LVM-I) at Las Campanas Observatory, where an integral field spectrograph (IFS) with 1801 lenslet-coupled fibers arranged in a 0.5 degree diameter hexagon feeds multiple R$\sim$4000 optical spectrographs that cover 3600-9800 angstroms. SDSS-V's hardware and multi-year survey strategy are designed to decode the chemo-dynamical history of the Milky Way Galaxy and tackle fundamental open issues in stellar physics in its Milky Way Mapper program, trace the growth physics of supermassive black holes in its Black Hole Mapper program, and understand the self-regulation mechanisms and the chemical enrichment of galactic ecosystems at the energy-injection scale in its Local Volume Mapper program. The survey is well-timed to multiply the scientific output from major all-sky space missions. The SDSS-V MOS programs began robotic operations in 2021; IFS observations began in 2023 with the completion of the LVM-I facility. SDSS-V builds upon decades of heritage of SDSS's pioneering advances in data analysis, collaboration spirit, infrastructure, and product deliverables in astronomy.

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arXiv2025

Discerning internal conditions of pulsating hot subdwarf B stars. Modelling multiple trapped modes in KIC 10001893

The frequencies of gravity mode oscillations are determined by the chemical, thermal, and structural properties of stellar interiors, facilitating the study of internal mixing mechanisms in stars. We investigate the impact of discontinuities in the chemical composition induced by the formation of an adiabatic semiconvection region during the core helium (He)-burning phase of evolution of hot subdwarf B-type (sdB) stars. We scrutinize the asteroseismic attributes of the evolutionary stages and assess the core He-burning phase by evaluating the parameter linked to the average interval between the deep trapped modes in both sdB evolutionary models and the observations of KIC 10001893. We perform evolutionary and asteroseismic analyses of sdB stars using MESA and GYRE to examine the properties of the semiconvection region. We address the challenges of relying solely on average interval between oscillation mode periods with consecutive radial orders to identify the core He-burning stage. To enhance identification, we propose a new parameter representing the average interval between deep trapped modes during some of the stages of sdB evolutionary models. Additionally, our results show that integrating convective penetration with convective premixing improves our models and yields comparable outcomes without the need for additional model parameters. Our results can advance the development of detailed evolutionary models for sdB stars by refining internal mixing schemes, enhancing the accuracy of pulsation predictions, and improving alignment with observational data.

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arXiv2025

Evolution of the near-core rotation frequency of 2,497 intermediate-mass stars from their dominant gravito-inertial mode

We combined Gaia DR3 and TESS photometric light curves to estimate the internal physical properties of 2,497 gravity-mode pulsators. We relied on asteroseismic properties of Kepler $γ\,$Dor and SPB stars to derive the near-core rotation frequency, $f_{\rm rot}$, of the Gaia-discovered pulsators from their dominant prograde dipole gravito-inertial pulsation mode. We offer a recipe based on linear regression to deduce $f_{\rm rot}$ from the dominant gravito-inertial mode frequency. It is applicable to prograde dipole modes with an amplitude above 4mmag and occurring in the sub-inertial regime. By applying it to the 2,497 pulsators, we have increased the sample of intermediate-mass dwarfs with such an asteroseismic observable by a factor of 4. We used the estimate of $f_{\rm rot}$ to deduce spin parameters between 2 and 6, while the sample's near-core rotation rates range from 0.7% to 25% of the critical Keplerian rate. We used $f_{\rm rot}$, along with the Gaia effective temperature and luminosity to deduce the (convective core) mass, radius, and evolutionary stage from grid modelling based on rotating stellar models. We derived a decline of $f_{\rm rot}$ with a factor of 2 during the main-sequence evolution for this population of field stars, which covers a mass range from 1.3M$_\odot$ to 7M$_\odot$. We found observational evidence for an increase in the radial order of excited gravity modes as the stars evolve. For 969 pulsators, we derived an upper limit of the radial differential rotation between the convective core boundary and the surface from Gaia's vbroad measurement and found values up to 5.4. Our recipe for the near-core rotation frequency from the dominant gravito-inertial mode detected in the independent Gaia and TESS light curves is easy to use, facilitates applications to large samples, and allows to map their angular momentum and evolutionary stage in the Milky Way.

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arXiv2024

KIC 4150611: A quadruply eclipsing heptuple star system with a g-mode period-spacing pattern Asteroseismic modelling of the g-mode period-spacing pattern

In this work, we aim to estimate the stellar parameters of the primary (Aa) by performing asteroseismic analysis on its period-spacing pattern. We use the C-3PO neural network to perform asteroseismic modelling of the g-mode period-spacing pattern of Aa, discussing the interplay of this information with external constraints from spectroscopy ($T_{\rm eff}$ and $\log(g)$) and eclipse modelling ($R$). To estimate the level of uncertainty due to different frequency extraction and pattern identification processes, we consider four different variations on the period-spacing patterns. To better understand the correlations between and the uncertainty structure of our parameter estimates, we also employed a classical, parameter-based MCMC grid search on four different stellar grids. The best-fitting, externally constrained model to the period-spacing pattern arrives at estimates of the stellar properties for Aa of: $M=1.51 \pm 0.05 M_\odot$, $X_c =0.43 \pm 0.04$, $R=1.66 \pm 0.1 R_\odot$, $f_{\rm ov}=0.010$, $Ω_c=1.58 \pm 0.01$ d$^{-1}$ with rigid rotation to within the measurement errors, $\log(T_{\rm eff})=3.856 \pm 0.008$ dex, $\log(g)=4.18 \pm 0.04$ dex, and $\log(L)=0.809 \pm 0.005$ dex, which agree well with previous measurements from eclipse modelling, spectroscopy, and the Gaia DR3 luminosity. We find that the near-core properties of the best-fitting asteroseismic models are consistent with external constraints from eclipse modelling and spectroscopy. Aa appears to be a typical example of a $γ$ Dor star, fitting well within existing populations. We find that Aa is quasi-rigidly rotating to within the uncertainties, and note that the asteroseismic age estimate for Aa (1100 $\pm$ 100 Myr) is considerably older than the young (35 Myr) age implied by previous isochrone fits to the B binary in the literature. Our MCMC parameter-based grid-search agrees well with our pattern-modelling approach.

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arXiv2024

The PLATO Mission

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2 R_(Earth)) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5 %, 10 %, 10 % for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO's target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile at the beginning of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

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arXiv2024

The ESO UVES/FEROS Large Programs of TESS OB pulsators. II. On the physical origin of macroturbulence

Spectral lines of hot massive stars are known to exhibit large excess broadening in addition to rotational broadening. This excess broadening is often attributed to macroturbulence whose physical origin is a matter of active debate in the stellar astrophysics community. By looking into the statistical properties of a large sample of O- and B-type stars, both in the Galaxy and LMC, we aim to shed light on the physical origin of macroturbulent line broadening. We deliver newly measured macroturbulent velocities for 86 stars from the Galaxy in a consistent manner with 126 stars from the LMC. A total sample of 594 O- and B-type stars with measured macroturbulent velocities was composed by complementing our sample with archival data. Furthermore, we compute an extensive grid of MESA models to compare, in a statistical manner, the predicted interior properties of stars (such as convection and wave propagation) with the inference of macroturbulent velocities from high-resolution spectroscopic observations. We find the presence of two principally different regimes where, depending on the initial stellar mass, different mechanisms may be responsible for the observed excess line broadening. Stars with initial masses above some 30$M_{\odot}$ are found to have macroturbulent velocities fully determined by subsurface convective zones formed in the iron opacity bump (FeCZ), while some other mechanism is required to explain observations for masses below 12$M_{\odot}$. The latter finding leaves the potential for waves generated at the interface of the convective core and radiative envelope of the star to be responsible for the observed macroturbulent broadening. Both mechanisms may co-exist in the intermediate regime of stellar masses, between some 12 and 30$M_{\odot}$.

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arXiv2024

Estimates of (convective core) masses, radii, and relative ages for $\sim$14,000 Gaia-discovered gravity-mode pulsators monitored by TESS

Gravito-inertial asteroseismology saw its birth from the 4-years long light curves of rotating main-sequence stars assembled by the Kepler space telescope. High-precision measurements of internal rotation and mixing are available for about 600 stars of intermediate mass so far that are used to challenge the state-of-the-art stellar structure and evolution models. Our aim is to prepare for future large ensemble modelling of gravity (g)-mode pulsators by relying on a new sample of such stars recently discovered from the third Data Release of the Gaia space mission and confirmed by space photometry from the TESS mission. This sample of potential asteroseismic targets is about 23 times larger than the Kepler sample. We use the effective temperature and luminosity inferred from Gaia to deduce evolutionary masses, convective core masses, radii, and ages for ~14,000 g-mode pulsators classified as such from their nominal TESS light curves. We do so by constructing two dedicated grids of evolutionary models for rotating stars with input physics from the asteroseismic calibrations of Kepler $γ$ Dor pulsators. We find the new g-mode pulsators to cover an extended observational instability region covering masses from about 1.3 to 9Msun. We provide their mass-luminosity and mass-radius relations, as well as convective core masses. Our results suggest that oscillations excited by the opacity mechanism occur uninterruptedly for the mass range above about 2Msun, where stars have a radiative envelope aside from thin convection zones in their excitation layers. Our evolutionary parameters for the sample of Gaia-discovered g-mode pulsators with confirmed modes by TESS offer a fruitful starting point for future TESS ensemble asteroseismology once a sufficient number of modes is identified in terms of the geometrical wave numbers and overtone for each of the pulsators.

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arXiv2024

Asteroseismic Modelling of Fast Rotators and its Opportunities for Astrophysics

Rotation matters for the life of a star. It causes a multitude of dynamical phenomena in the stellar interior during a star's evolution and its effects accumulate until the star dies. All stars rotate at some level but those born with a mass above about 1.3 times the mass of the Sun rotate rapidly during more than 90% of their nuclear lifetime. Internal rotation guides the angular momentum and chemical element transport throughout the stellar interior. These transport processes change over time as the star evolves. The cumulative effects of stellar rotation and its induced transport processes determine the helium content of the core by the time it exhausts its hydrogen isotopes. The amount of helium at that stage also guides the heavy element yields by the end of the star's life. A proper theory of stellar evolution and any realistic models for the chemical enrichment of galaxies, must be based on observational calibrations of stellar rotation and of the induced transport processes. Since a few years, asteroseismology offers such calibrations, for single and binary stars. We review the current status of asteroseismic modelling of rotating stars for different stellar mass regimes, in an accessible way for the non-expert. While doing so, we describe exciting opportunities sparked by asteroseismology for various domains in astrophysics, touching upon topics from exoplanetary science to galactic structure and evolution towards gravitational wave physics. Along the way, we provide ample sneak-previews for future 'industrialised' applications of asteroseismology to slow and rapid rotators, from exploitation of combined Kepler, TESS, PLATO, Gaia, and spectroscopy surveys. We end the review with a list of take away messages and achievements of asteroseismology, which are of relevance for many fields of astrophysics.

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arXiv2024

Oscillation Frequencies of Moderately Rotating Delta Scuti Stars: Asymmetric Mode Splittings Due to Non-spherical Distortion

We find that the observed pressure-mode rotational splittings of slowly/moderately rotating Delta Scuti stars and Beta Cephei stars mostly have a positive asymmetry. That is, the left frequency spacing is larger than the right spacing in the dipole mode splitting triplets and the $l=2$ mode splitting multiplets (considering $m=1, 0, -1$ modes only). This is in agreement with the second-order perturbative effect of the rotational non-spherical distortion: both the prograde and retrograde modes have their frequencies shifted towards lower values relative to the $m=0$ modes. We thus study the rotational perturbation both in the first and second order, as well as the near-degeneracy mode coupling effect in MESA models representing Delta Scuti stars. For faster rotators, the near-degeneracy mode coupling between the nearest radial and quadrupole modes can significantly shift the $m=0$ modes, reduce the splitting asymmetry, and even change its sign. We find the theoretical splitting asymmetry from the second-order non-spherical distortion is larger than observed asymmetry. To facilitate future detections, we predict correlations between splitting asymmetry, splitting amplitude, and pulsation frequency. We also discuss additional factors that can influence splitting asymmetry, including embedded magnetic fields, resonant mode coupling, and binarity.

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arXiv2024

Merger seismology: distinguishing massive merger products from genuine single stars using asteroseismology

Products of stellar mergers are predicted to be common in stellar populations and can potentially explain stars with peculiar properties. When the merger occurs after the initially more massive star has evolved into the Hertzsprung gap (HG), the merger product may remain in the blue part of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) for millions of years. Such objects could, therefore, explain the overabundance of observed blue stars, such as blue supergiants. However, it is currently not straightforward to distinguish merger products from genuine single stars. We make detailed asteroseismic comparisons between models of massive post-main-sequence merger products and genuine single stars to identify which asteroseismic diagnostics can be used to distinguish them. In doing so, we develop tools for the relatively young field of merger seismology. Genuine single stars in the HG are fully radiative, while merger products have a convective He-burning core and convective H-burning shell while occupying similar locations in the HRD. These structural differences are reflected in lower asymptotic period spacing values for merger products and the appearance of deep dips in their period spacing patterns. Our genuine single-star models with masses above roughly 11.4 solar masses develop short-lived intermediate convective zones during their HG evolution. This also leads to deep dips in their period spacing patterns. Because of the lack of a convective core, merger products and genuine single stars can be distinguished based on their asymptotic period spacing value in this mass range. We perform the comparisons with and without the effects of slow rotation included in the pulsation equations and conclude that the two types of stars are seismically distinguishable in both cases. The observability of the distinguishing asteroseismic features of merger products can now be assessed and exploited in practice.

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arXiv2024

Confronting sparse Gaia DR3 photometry with TESS for a sample of around 60,000 OBAF-type pulsators

The Gaia mission has delivered hundreds of thousands of variable star light curves in multiple wavelengths. Recent work demonstrates that these light curves can be used to identify (non-)radial pulsations in the OBAF-type stars, despite the irregular cadence and low light curve precision of order a few mmag. With the considerably more precise TESS photometry, we revisit these candidate pulsators to conclusively ascertain the nature of their variability. We seek to re-classify the Gaia light curves with the first two years of TESS photometry for a sample of 58,970 p- and g- mode pulsators, encompassing gamma Dor, delta Scuti, SPB, and beta Cep variables. We also supply four new catalogues containing the confirmed pulsators, along with their dominant and secondary pulsation frequencies, the number of independent mode frequencies, and a ranking according to their usefulness for future asteroseismic ensemble analysis. We find that the Gaia photometry is exceptionally accurate for detecting the dominant and secondary frequencies, reaching approximately 80% accuracy in frequency for p- and g-mode pulsators. The majority of Gaia classifications are consistent with the classifications from the TESS data, illustrating the power of the low-cadence Gaia photometry for pulsation studies. We find that the sample of g-mode pulsators forms a continuous group of variable stars along the main sequence across B, A, and F spectral types, implying that the mode excitation mechanisms for all these pulsators need to be updated with improved physics. Finally, we provide a rank-ordered table of pulsators according to their asteroseismic potential for follow-up studies. Our catalogue offers a major increase in the number of confirmed gravity-mode pulsators with an identified dominant mode suitable for follow-up TESS ensemble asteroseismology of such stars.

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arXiv2024

KIC 4150611: A quadruply eclipsing heptuple star system with a g-mode period-spacing pattern Eclipse modelling of the triple and spectroscopic analysis

KIC 4150611 is a high-order multiple composed of a triple system composed of the F1V primary (Aa), which is eclipsed on a 94.2d period by a tight 1.52d binary composed of two dim K/M dwarfs (Ab1, Ab2), which also eclipse each other; an 8.65d eccentric, eclipsing binary composed of two G stars (Ba, Bb); and another faint eclipsing binary composed of two stars of unknown spectral type (Ca and Cb). In addition to its many eclipses, the system is an SB3 spectroscopic multiple (Aa, Ba, and Bb) and the primary (Aa) is a hybrid pulsator. We employ a novel photometric analysis of the complicated eclipse geometry of Aa to obtain orbital and stellar properties of the triple. We acquired 51 TRES spectra at the Fred L. Whipple Observatory, calculating radial velocities and orbital elements of Aa (SB1) and the B binary (SB2). These spectra and radial velocities are used to perform spectral disentangling for Aa, Ba, and Bb. Spectral modelling is applied to the disentangled spectrum of Aa to obtain atmospheric properties. We obtain precise stellar properties of the triple, including the mass ratios (MAa/(MAb1 + MAb2) = 3.61 +/- 0.01, MAb1/MAb2 = 1.113 +/- 0.001), separation ratio (aAab/aAb1Ab2 = 21.81 +/- 0.01), orbital periods (PAab = 94.29486 +/- 0.00008d, PAb1Ab2 = 1.522248 +/- 0.000001d), and stellar radii (RAa = 1.64 +/- 0.06 Rsun, RAb1 = 0.42 +/- 0.01 Rsun, RAb2 = 0.38 +/- 0.01 Rsun). Radial velocity fitting and spectral disentangling arrive at orbital elements for Aa, Ba, and Bb in excellent agreement with each other and with previous results in the literature. Spectral modelling on the disentangled spectrum of Aa provides constraints on the effective temperature (Teff = 7280 +/- 70 K), surface gravity (log(g) = 4.14 +/- 0.18 dex), micro-turbulent velocity (vmicro = 3.61 +/- 0.19 km s-1), rotation velocity (v sin i = 127 +/- 4 km s-1), and metallicity ([M/H] = -0.23 +/- 0.06).

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arXiv2024

The impact of asteroseismically calibrated internal mixing on nucleosynthetic wind yields of massive stars

Asteroseismology gives us the opportunity to look inside stars and determine their internal properties. Based on these observations, estimations can be made for the amount of the convective boundary mixing and envelope mixing of such stars, and the shape of the mixing profile in the envelope. However, these results are not typically included in stellar evolution models. We aim to investigate the impact of varying convective boundary mixing and envelope mixing in a range based on asteroseismic modelling in stellar models, both for the stellar structure and for the nucleosynthetic yields. In this first study, we focus on the pre-explosive evolution of a 20Msun star and evolve the models to the final phases of carbon burning. We vary the convective boundary mixing, implemented as step-overshoot, with the overshoot parameter in the range 0.05-0.4 and the amount of envelope mixing in the range 1-10$^{6}$ with a mixing profile based on internal gravity waves. We use a large nuclear network of 212 isotopes to study the nucleosynthesis. We find that enhanced mixing according to asteroseismology of main-sequence stars, both at the convective core boundary and in the envelope, has significant effects on the nucleosynthetic wind yields. Our evolutionary models beyond the main sequence diverge in yields from models based on rotational mixing, having longer helium burning lifetimes and lighter helium-depleted cores. We find that the asteroseismic ranges of internal mixing calibrated from core hydrogen burning stars lead to similar wind yields as those resulting from the theory of rotational mixing. Adopting the seismic mixing levels beyond the main sequence, we find earlier transitions to radiative carbon burning compared to models based on rotational mixing. This influences the compactness and the occurrence of shell-mergers, which may affect the supernova properties and explosive nucleosynthesis.

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arXiv2024

Non-linear Three-mode Coupling of Gravity Modes in Rotating Slowly Pulsating B Stars: Stationary Solutions and Modeling Potential

Context. Slowly pulsating B (SPB) stars display multi-periodic variability in the gravito-inertial mode regime with indications of non-linear resonances between modes. Several have undergone asteroseismic modeling in the past few years to infer their internal properties in a linear setting. Rotation is typically included in the modeling by means of the traditional approximation of rotation (TAR). Aims. We aim to extend the set of tools available for asteroseismology, by describing time-independent (stationary) resonant non-linear coupling among three gravito-inertial modes within the TAR. Such coupling offers the opportunity to use mode amplitude ratios in the asteroseismic modeling process, instead of only relying on frequencies of linear eigenmodes. Methods. Following observational detections, we derive expressions for the resonant stationary non-linear coupling between three gravito-inertial modes in rotating stars. We assess selection rules and stability domains for stationary solutions and predict non-linear frequencies and amplitude ratio observables that can be compared with their observed counterparts. Results. The non-linear frequency shifts of stationary couplings are negligible compared to typical frequency errors derived from observations. The theoretically predicted amplitude ratios of combination frequencies match with some of their observational counterparts in the SPB targets. Other observed ratios could be linked to other saturation mechanisms, to interactions between different modes, or to different opacity gradients in the driving zone. Conclusions. Our non-linear mode coupling formalism can explain some of the stationary amplitude ratios of observed resonant mode couplings in single SPB stars monitored during 4 years by Kepler.

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arXiv2024

Asteroseismology of the young open cluster NGC 2516 I: Photometric and spectroscopic observations

Asteroseismic modelling of isolated star presents significant challenges due to the difficulty in accurately determining stellar parameters, particularly the stellar age. These challenges can be overcomed by observing stars in open clusters, whose coeval members share an initial chemical composition. The light curves by TESS allow us to investigate and analyse stellar variations in clusters with an unprecedented level. We aim to detect gravity-mode oscillations in the early-type main-sequence members of the young open cluster NGC 2516. We selected the 301 member stars as our sample and analysed the TESS FFI light curves. We also collected high-resolution spectra using the FEROS for the g-mode pulsators. By fitting the theoretical isochrones to the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) of a cluster, we determined an age of 102 $\pm$ 15 Myr and inferred the extinction at 550 nm ($A_0$) is 0.53 $\pm$ 0.04 mag. We identified 147 stars with surface brightness modulations, 24 with g-mode pulsations ($γ$ Doradus or Slowly Pulsating B stars), and 35 with p-mode pulsations ($δ$ Sct stars). When sorted by colour index, the amplitude spectra of the $δ$ Sct stars show a distinct ordering and reveal a discernible frequency-temperature relationship. The near-core rotation rates, measured from period spacing patterns in two SPB and nine $γ$ Dor stars, reach up to 3/d . This is at the high end of the values found from Kepler data of field stars of similar variability type. The $γ$ Dor stars have internal rotation rates as high as 50% of their critical value, whereas the SPB stars exhibit rotation rates close to their critical rate. We did not find long-term brightness and colour variations in the mid-infrared, which suggests that there are no disk or shell formation events in our sample. We also discussed the results of our spectroscopic observations for the g-mode pulsators.

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arXiv2024

Low-amplitude solar-like oscillations in the K5 V star $\varepsilon$ Indi A

We have detected solar-like oscillations in the mid K-dwarf $\varepsilon$ Indi A, making it the coolest dwarf to have measured oscillations. The star is noteworthy for harboring a pair of brown dwarf companions and a Jupiter-type planet. We observed $\varepsilon$ Indi A during two radial velocity campaigns, using the high-resolution spectrographs HARPS (2011) and UVES (2021). Weighting the time series, we computed the power spectra and established the detection of solar-like oscillations with a power excess located at $5265 \pm 110 \ μ$Hz -- the highest frequency solar-like oscillations so far measured in any star. The measurement of the center of the power excess allows us to compute a stellar mass of $0.782 \pm 0.023 \ M_\odot$ based on scaling relations and a known radius from interferometry. We also determine the amplitude of the peak power and note that there is a slight difference between the two observing campaigns, indicating a varying activity level. Overall, this work confirms that low-amplitude solar-like oscillations can be detected in mid-K type stars in radial velocity measurements obtained with high-precision spectrographs.

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