arXiv subjects

Keegan Thomson-Paressant

Publications and source records attributed to Keegan Thomson-Paressant.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Search for magnetic fields in seven slowly rotating A stars

A small fraction of A-type stars host strong fossil magnetic fields. Identifying them relies on indirect indicators such as chemical peculiarities, slow rotation, and rotational modulation, which are also shared by non-magnetic stars. Assessing their reliability is essential for future surveys. We magnetically characterise seven slowly rotating, chemically peculiar A-type stars selected through two complementary strategies. Three were selected from abundance analysis combined with potential intrinsically slow rotation, and four from a spectral depression at 5200 Angstrom combined with rotational modulation in TESS photometry. We obtained high-resolution spectropolarimetry, applied least squares deconvolution, and measured longitudinal field strengths for detections. For non-detections, we derived upper limits on polar field strength and evaluated the critical fields of Zahn and Spruit. We detect magnetic fields in all four stars selected via the spectral depression and photometric criterion, with longitudinal field strengths of approximately 145-2900 G, while none of the three stars selected via abundance and slow rotation shows a Zeeman signature. Combined upper limits for two non-detections lie below or near the magnetic desert boundary, but only one is also below the critical fields required for rigid rotation. The non-detections are most naturally interpreted as Am stars. Among the detections, HD 63843 stands out as a magnetic $δ$ Scuti pulsator, promising for magneto-asteroseismology. In conclusion, slow rotation combined with chemical peculiarity alone does not reliably trace large scale magnetic fields, whereas adding the 5200 Angstrom depression and stable rotational modulation in space photometry appears to select magnetic A-type stars with high efficiency, providing a practical guideline for future spectropolarimetric surveys.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Variability classification of TESS targets in LOPS2, the first long-term pointing field of PLATO. Version 1 of the public variability catalogue

The PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) mission is expected to launch in January 2027. A total of 8\% of its data rate will be dedicated to complementary science targets selected from approved Guest Observer proposals. We seek to provide an open-source catalogue of variable stars in PLATO's first long-term observing field, LOPS2. We want to use existing observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which has observed many stars in LOPS2. We classified 38 million calibrated aperture light curves from the TESS-Gaia Light Curve pipeline (TGLC, $G\lesssim17$) for 6 million unique sources in LOPS2 with two machine learning frameworks -- a deep neural network and a feature-based gradient-boosted decision-tree ensemble. We combined their predictions to create this first version of the LOPS2 variability catalogue, performed manual vetting of a sub-sample classified light curves, and a statistical analysis of the results to validate our methodology and to assess the variability properties and parameters of the stars in the catalogue. Our classification resulted in the identification of approximately 72% of the light curves having dominant instrument- or pipeline-induced signal, with the remaining 28% representing 3.6 million individual candidate variable stars, including pulsating, rotating, and eclipsing stars. Candidate pulsators exhibit varied behaviour in terms of their frequencies, amplitudes, rotation, and fundamental parameters. To ensure purity of the samples, filtering on colour, luminosity, the dominant frequency and its amplitude, and presence of close neighbours is helpful. We provide the first version of our PLATO LOPS2 variability catalogue to the community for further study and scrutiny. It is to date one of the largest catalogues of variable stars from an automated classification pipeline.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Magnetism in LAMOST CP stars observed by TESS

Context. A thousand new magnetic candidate CP stars have been identified with LAMOST, among which about 700 prime targets have rotational modulation determined from TESS. Aims. We aim to check for the presence of a magnetic field in a subsample of these LAMOST CP stars, test the viability of the 5200 A depression used to select the mCP candidates in the LAMOST survey as a reliable indicator of magnetism, and expand on the limited database of known magnetic hot stars. The sample includes some pulsators that would be valuable targets for magneto-asteroseismology. Methods. We selected approx. 100 magnetic candidate LAMOST CP stars, presenting a depression at 5200 A in their spectrum and that also display rotational modulation in their TESS photometric lightcurves. We obtained spectropolarimetric observations of 39 targets from this sample with ESPaDOnS at CFHT. We utilise the Least Squares Deconvolution method to generate the mean profile of the Stokes V and I parameters, from which the longitudinal magnetic field strength for each target can be determined. For HD 49198, we performed more in-depth analysis to determine the polar magnetic field strength and configuration. Results. We detect fields in at least 36 of our sample of 39 targets. This success rate in detecting magnetic field (above 92%) is very high compared to the occurrence of magnetic fields in hot stars (about 10%). Four of these newly discovered magnetic stars are magnetic pulsators. In particular, we detect the strongest field around a delta Scuti star discovered to date: a 12 kG dipolar field in HD 49198. Conclusions. From our analysis, we conclude that using the 5200 A depression displayed in the spectra in combination with rotational modulation in photometric data is a very reliable method for identifying magnetic candidates in this population of stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

The complex fossil magnetic field of the $δ$ Scuti star HD\,41641

Only three magnetic $δ$ Scuti stars are known as of today. HD 41641 is a $δ$ Scuti star showing chemical peculiarities and rotational modulation of its light-curve, making it a good magnetic candidate. We acquired spectropolarimetric observations of this star with Narval at TBL to search for the presence of a magnetic field and characterize it. We indeed clearly detect a magnetic field in HD 41641, making it the fourth known magnetic $δ$ Scuti star. Our analysis shows that the field is of fossil origin, like magnetic OBA stars, but with a complex field structure rather than the much more usual dipolar structure.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Classifying Be star variability with TESS I: the southern ecliptic

TESS photometry is analyzed for 432 classical Be stars observed in the first year of the mission. The often complex and diverse variability of each object in this sample is classified to obtain an understanding of the behavior of this class as a population. 98\% of the systems are variable above the noise level, with timescales spanning nearly the entire range of what is accessible with TESS, from tens of minutes to tens of days. The variability seen with TESS is summarized as follows. Nearly every system contains multiple periodic signals in the frequency regime between about 0.5 -- 4 d$^{-1}$. One or more groups of closely-spaced frequencies is the most common feature, present in 85\% of the sample. Among the Be stars with brightening events that are characteristic of mass ejection episodes (17\% of the full sample, or 30\% of early-type stars), all have at least one frequency group, and the majority of these (83\%) show a concurrent temporary amplitude enhancement in one or more frequency groups. About one third of the sample is dominated by low frequency ($f < 0.5$ d$^{-1}$, and often much lower) variability. Stochastic signals are prominent in about 26\% of the sample, with varying degrees of intensity. Higher frequency signals ($6 < f < 15$ d$^{-1}$) are sometimes seen (in 14\% of the sample) and in most cases likely reflect p mode pulsation. In rare cases ($\sim$3\%), even higher frequencies beyond the traditional p mode regime ($f > 15$ d$^{-1}$) are observed.

astro-ph.SR↗