arXiv subjects

Leandro G. Althaus

Publications and source records attributed to Leandro G. Althaus.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

WD J004917.14$-$252556.81, the Most Massive Pulsating White Dwarf

We present APO and Gemini time-series photometry of WD J004917.14$-$252556.81, an ultramassive DA white dwarf with $T_{\rm eff} = 13020$ K and $\log{g} = 9.34$. We detect variability at two significant frequencies, making J0049$-$2525 the most massive pulsating white dwarf currently known with $M_\star=1.31~M_{\odot}$ (for a CO core) or $1.26~M_{\odot}$ (for an ONe core). J0049$-$2525 does not display any of the signatures of binary mergers, there is no evidence of magnetism, large tangential velocity, or rapid rotation. Hence, it likely formed through single star evolution and is likely to have an ONe core. Evolutionary models indicate that its interior is $\gtrsim99$% crystallized. Asteroseismology offers an unprecedented opportunity to probe its interior structure. However, the relatively few pulsation modes detected limit our ability to obtain robust seismic solutions. Instead, we provide several representative solutions that could explain the observed properties of this star. Extensive follow-up time-series photometry of this unique target has the potential to discover a significant number of additional pulsation modes that would help overcome the degeneracies in the asteroseismic fits, and enable us to probe the interior of an $\approx1.3~M_{\odot}$ crystallized white dwarf.

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arXiv2023

Exploring the internal rotation of the extremely low-mass He-core white dwarf GD 278 with TESS asteroseismology

(Abridged) We present an exploration of the internal rotation of GD 278, the first pulsating extremely low-mass white dwarf that shows rotational splittings within its periodogram. We assess the theoretical frequency splittings expected for different rotation profiles and compare them to the observed frequency splittings of GD 278. To this aim, we employ an asteroseismological model representative of the pulsations of this star, obtained by using the LPCODE stellar evolution code. We also derive a rotation profile that results from detailed evolutionary calculations carried out with the MESA stellar evolution code and use it to infer the expected theoretical frequency splittings. We found that the best-fitting solution when assuming linear profiles for the rotation of GD 278 leads to values of the angular velocity at the surface and the center that are only slightly differential, and still compatible with rigid rotation. The values of the angular velocity at the surface and the center for the simple linear rotation profiles and for the rotation profile derived from evolutionary calculations are in very good agreement. Also, the resulting theoretical frequency splittings are compatible with the observed frequency splittings, in general, for both cases. The results obtained from the different approaches followed in this work to derive the internal rotation of GD 278 agree. The fact that they were obtained employing two independent stellar evolution codes gives robustness to our results. Our results suggest only a marginally differential behavior for the internal rotation in GD 278, and considering the uncertainties involved, very compatible with the rigid case, as has been observed previously for white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs. The rotation periods derived for this star are also in line with the values determined asteroseismologically for white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs in general.

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arXiv2023

A candidate magnetic helium core white dwarf in the globular cluster NGC 6397

We report a peculiar variable blue star in the globular cluster NGC 6397, using Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging. Its position in the colour-magnitude diagrams, and its spectrum, are consistent with this star being a helium core white dwarf (He WD) in a binary system. The optical light curve shows a periodicity at 18.5 hours. We argue that this periodicity is due to the rotation of the WD and possibly due to magnetic spots on the surface of the WD. This would make this object the first candidate magnetic He WD in any globular cluster (GC), and the first candidate magnetic WD in a detached binary system in any GC and one of the few He WDs with a known rotation period and of magnetic nature. Another possibility is that this system is a He WD in a binary system with another WD or another degenerate object, which would make this object one of the few candidate non-accreting double degenerate binaries in any GC.

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arXiv2023

Newtonian pulsations of relativistic ONe-core ultra-massive DA white dwarfs

Ultra-massive H-rich (DA spectral type) white dwarf stars ($M_{\star} > 1.05 M_{\odot}$) are expected to be substantially crystallized by the time they reach the ZZ Ceti instability strip ($T_{\rm eff} \sim 12\,000$ K). Crystallization leads to a separation of $^{16}$O and $^{20}$Ne (or $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O) in the core of ultra-massive WDs, which strongly impacts their pulsational properties. An additional factor to take into account when modeling the evolution and pulsations of WDs in this range of masses are the relativistic effects, which induce changes in the cooling times and the stellar masses derived from the effective temperature and surface gravity. Given the arrival of large amounts of photometric data from space missions such as {\it Kepler}/{\it K2} and {\it TESS}, it is important to assess the impact of General Relativity in the context of pulsations of ultra-massive ZZ Ceti stars. In this work, we present results of Newtonian gravity($g$)-mode pulsation calculations in evolutionary ultra-massive WD models computed in the frame of the General Relativity theory.

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arXiv2022

Pulsating H-deficient WDs and pre-WDs observed with TESS: V. Discovery of two new DBV pulsators, WD J152738.4-450207.4 and WD 1708-871, and asteroseismology of the already known DBV stars PG 1351+489, EC 20058-5234, and EC 04207-4748

The {\sl TESS} space mission has recently demonstrated its great potential to discover new pulsating white dwarf and pre-white dwarf stars, and to detect periodicities with high precision in already known white-dwarf pulsators. We report the discovery of two new pulsating He-rich atmosphere white dwarfs (DBVs) and present a detailed asteroseismological analysis of three already known DBV stars employing observations collected by the {\sl TESS} mission along with ground-based data. We extracted frequencies from the {\sl TESS} light curves of these DBV stars using a standard pre-whitening procedure to derive the potential pulsation frequencies. All the oscillation frequencies that we found are associated with $g$-mode pulsations with periods spanning from $\sim 190$ s to $\sim 936$ s. We find hints of rotation from frequency triplets in some of the targets, including the two new DBVs. For three targets, we find constant period spacings, which allowed us to infer their stellar masses and constrain the harmonic degree $\ell$ of the modes. We also performed period-to-period fit analyses and found an asteroseismological model for three targets, with stellar masses generally compatible with the spectroscopic masses. Obtaining seismological models allowed us to estimate the seismological distances and compare them with the precise astrometric distances measured with {\it Gaia}. We find a good agreement between the seismic and the astrometric distances for three stars (PG~1351+489, EC~20058$-$5234, and EC~04207$-$4748), although for the other two stars (WD~J152738.4$-$50207 and WD~1708$-$871), the discrepancies are substantial. The high-quality data from the {\sl TESS} mission continue to provide important clues to determine the internal structure of pulsating pre-white dwarf and white dwarf stars through the tools of asteroseismology.

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arXiv2022

Can we reveal the core-chemical composition of ultra-massive white dwarfs through their magnetic fields?

Ultra-massive white dwarfs ($ 1.05 \rm M_\odot \lesssim M_{WD}$) are particularly interesting objects that allow us to study extreme astrophysical phenomena such as type Ia supernovae explosions and merger events. Traditionally, ultra-massive white dwarfs are thought to harbour oxygen-neon (ONe) cores. However, recent theoretical studies and new observations suggest that some ultra-massive white dwarfs could harbour carbon-oxygen (CO) cores. Although several studies have attempted to elucidate the core composition of ultra-massive white dwarfs, to date, it has not been possible to distinguish them through their observed properties. Here, we present a new method for revealing the core-chemical composition in ultra-massive white dwarfs that is based on the study of magnetic fields generated by convective mixing induced by the crystallization process. ONe white dwarfs crystallize at higher luminosities than their CO counterparts. Therefore, the study of magnetic ultra-massive white dwarfs in the particular domain where ONe cores have reached the crystallization conditions but CO cores have not, may provide valuable support to their ONe core-chemical composition, since ONe white dwarfs would display signs of magnetic fields and CO would not. We apply our method to eight white dwarfs with magnetic field measurements and we suggest that these stars are candidate ONe white dwarfs.

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arXiv2022

New DA white dwarf models for asteroseismology of ZZ Ceti stars

Asteroseismology is a powerful tool to infer the evolutionary status and chemical stratification of white dwarf (WD) stars, and to explore the physical processes that lead to their formation. This is particularly true for the variable H-rich atmosphere (DA) WDs, known as DAV or ZZ Ceti stars. We present a new grid of DA WD models that take into account the last advances in the modeling and input physics of both the progenitor and the WD stars, thus avoiding and improving several shortcomings present in the set of DA WD models employed in the asteroseismological analyses of ZZ Ceti stars we carried out in our previous works. These new models are derived from a self-consistent way with the changes in the internal chemical distribution that result from the mixing of all the core chemical components induced by mean molecular-weight inversions, from $^{22}$Ne diffusion, Coulomb sedimentation, and from residual nuclearburning. In addition, the expected nuclear-burning history and mixing events along the progenitor evolution are accounted for, in particular the occurrence of third dredge-up, which determines the properties of the core and envelope of post-AGB and white dwarf stars, as well as the WD initial-final mass relation. The range of H envelopes of our new ZZ star models extends from log(M_H/M_*)= -4 to -5, to log(M_H/M_*)= -13.5. This allows, for the first time, to consider seismological solutions for ZZ Ceti stars with extremely thin H envelopes. Our new H-burning post-AGB models predict chemical profiles of O and C near the stellar centre of ZZ Ceti stars substantially different from those we used in our previous works. We find that the pulsation periods of $g$ modes and the mode-trapping properties of the new models differ significantly from those characterizing the ZZ Ceti models of our previous works, particularly for long periods.

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arXiv2022

Pulsating hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs observed with TESS -- IV. Discovery of two new GW Vir stars: TIC0403800675 and TIC1989122424

We present two new GW Vir-type pulsating white dwarf stars, TIC\,0403800675 (WD\,J115727.68-280349.64) and TIC\,1989122424 (WD J211738.38-552801.18) discovered in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometric data. For both stars, the TESS light curves reveal the presence of oscillations with periods in a narrow range between 400 and 410\,s, which are associated with typical gravity ($g$)-modes. Follow-up ground-based spectroscopy shows that both stars have similar effective temperature ($T_\mathrm{eff} = 110,000 \pm 10,000$\,K) and surface gravity ($\log g = 7.5 \pm 0.5$), but different He/C composition (mass fractions): He\,=\,0.75 and C\,=\,0.25 for TIC\,0403800675, and He\,=\,0.50 and C\,=\,0.50 for TIC\,1989122424. By performing a fit to their spectral energy distributions, we found for both stars radii and luminosities of $R=0.019\pm0.002\,R_\odot$ and $\log(L/L_\odot)=1.68^{+0.15}_{-0.24}$, respectively. By employing evolutionary tracks of PG~1159 stars, we find the masses of both stars to be $0.56\pm0.18 M_{\odot}$ from the $\log g$-$T_\mathrm{eff}$ diagram and $0.60^{+0.11}_{-0.09} M_{\odot}$ from the Hertzsprung Russell diagram.

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arXiv2022

The evolution of ultra-massive carbon oxygen white dwarfs

Ultra-massive white dwarfs ($\rm M_{WD} \gtrsim 1.05\, M_{\odot}$) are considered powerful tools to study type Ia supernovae explosions, merger events, the occurrence of physical processes in the Super Asymptotic Giant Branch (SAGB) phase, and the existence of high magnetic fields. Traditionally, ultra-massive white dwarfs are expected to harbour oxygen-neon (ONe) cores. However, new observations and recent theoretical studies suggest that the progenitors of some ultra-massive white dwarfs can avoid carbon burning, leading to the formation of ultra-massive white dwarfs harbouring carbon-oxygen (CO) cores. Here we present a set of ultra-massive white dwarf evolutionary sequences with CO cores for a wide range of metallicity and masses. We take into account the energy released by latent heat and phase separation during the crystallization process and by $^{22}$Ne sedimentation. Realistic chemical profiles resulting from the full computation of progenitor evolution are considered. We compare our CO ultra-massive white dwarf models with ONe models. We conclude that CO ultra-massive white dwarfs evolve significantly slower than their ONe counterparts mainly for three reasons: their larger thermal content, the effect of crystallization, and the effect of $^{22}$Ne sedimentation. We also provide colors in several photometric bands on the basis of new model atmospheres. These CO ultra-massive white dwarf models, together with the ONe ultra-massive white dwarf models, provide an appropriate theoretical framework to study the ultra-massive white dwarf population in our Galaxy.

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arXiv2022

An evolutionary channel for CO-rich and pulsating He-rich subdwarfs

Recently a new class of hot subluminous stars strongly enriched in C and O have been discovered (CO-sdOs). These stars show abundances very similar to those observed in PG1159 stars but at lower temperatures. Moreover, it has been recently suggested that C and O enrichment might be the key ingredient driving the pulsations in He-rich hot subdwarf stars (He-sdBVs). Here we argue that these two types of rare stars can be explained by a variant of one of the main channels forming hot subdwarf stars. The scenario involves the formation and merging of a He-core white dwarf and a less massive CO-core white dwarf. We have constructed a simple merger models and computed their subsequent evolution. The merger products are in agreement with the surface parameters and composition of CO-sdOs. In addition, we have performed simulations including the effects of element diffusion and the excitation of pulsations. These simulations show that less massive merger products can form stellar structures that have surface parameters, abundances, and pulsation periods similar to those displayed by He-sdBVs. We conclude that the proposed scenario, or some variant of it, offers a very plausible explanation for the formation of CO-sdOs, pulsating He-sdBs and low-luminosity PG1159 stars.

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arXiv2021

Pulsating hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs observed with {\it TESS}: III. Asteroseismology of the DBV star GD 358

The collection of high-quality photometric data by space telescopes is revolutionizing the area of white-dwarf asteroseismology. Among the different kinds of pulsating white dwarfs, there are those that have He-rich atmospheres, and they are called DBVs or V777 Her variable stars. The archetype of these pulsating white dwarfs, GD~358, is the focus of the present paper. We report a thorough asteroseismological analysis of the DBV star GD~358 (TIC~219074038) based on new high-precision photometric data gathered by the {\it TESS} space mission combined with data taken from the Earth. In total, we detected 26 periodicities from the {\it TESS} light curve of this DBV star using a standard pre-whitening. The oscillation frequencies are associated with nonradial $g$(gravity)-mode pulsations with periods from $\sim 422$ s to $\sim 1087$ s. Moreover, we detected 8 combination frequencies between $\sim 543$ s and $\sim 295$ s. We combined these data with a huge amount of observations from the ground. We found a constant period spacing of $39.25\pm0.17$ s, which helped us to infer its mass ($M_{\star}= 0.588\pm0.024 M_{\sun}$) and constrain the harmonic degree $\ell$ of the modes. We carried out a period-fit analysis on GD~358, and we were successful in finding an asteroseismological model with a stellar mass ($M_{\star}= 0.584^{+0.025}_{-0.019} M_{\sun}$), in line with the spectroscopic mass ($M_{\star}= 0.560\pm0.028 M_{\sun}$). We found that the frequency splittings vary according to the radial order of the modes, suggesting differential rotation. Obtaining a seismological made it possible to estimate the seismological distance ($d_{\rm seis}= 42.85\pm 0.73$ pc) of GD~358, which is in very good accordance with the precise astrometric distance measured by {\it GAIA} EDR3 ($π= 23.244\pm 0.024, d_{\rm GAIA}= 43.02\pm 0.04$~pc).

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arXiv2021

Pulsating hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs observed with TESS II. Discovery of two new GW Vir stars: TIC333432673 and TIC095332541

In this paper, we present the observations of two new GW Vir stars from the extended \textit{TESS} mission in both 120\,s short-cadence and 20\,s ultra-short-cadence mode of two pre-white dwarf stars showing hydrogen deficiency. We performed an asteroseismological analysis of these stars on the basis of PG~1159 evolutionary models that take into account the complete evolution of the progenitor stars. We searched for patterns of uniform period spacings in order to constrain the stellar mass of the stars, and employed the individual observed periods to search for a representative seismological model. The analysis of the {\it TESS} light curves of TIC\,333432673 and TIC\,095332541 reveals the presence of several oscillations with periods ranging from 350 to 500~s associated to typical gravity ($g$)-modes. From follow-up ground-based spectroscopy, we find that both stars have similar effective temperature ($T_\mathrm{eff} = 120,000 \pm 10,000$\,K) and surface gravity ($\log g = 7.5 \pm 0.5$) but a different He/C composition. On the basis of PG~1159 evolutionary tracks, we derived a spectroscopic mass of $M_{\star}$ = $0.58^{+0.16}_{-0.08}\,M_{\odot}$ for both stars. Our asteroseismological analysis of TIC\,333432673 allowed us to find a constant period spacing compatible with a stellar mass $M_{\star}\sim 0.60-0.61\,M_{\odot}$, and an asteroseismological model for this star with a stellar mass $M_{\star}$ = $0.589\pm 0.020$ $M_{\odot}$, and a seismological distance of $d= 459^{+188}_{-156}$ pc. For this star, we find an excellent agreement between the different methods to infer the stellar mass, and also between the seismological distance and that measured with {\it Gaia} ($d_{\rm Gaia}= 389^{+5.6}_{-5.2}$ pc). For TIC\,095332541, we have found a possible period spacing that suggests a stellar mass of $M_{\star}\sim 0.55-0.57\,M_{\odot}$.

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arXiv2021

Forever young white dwarfs: when stellar ageing stops

White dwarf stars are the most common end point of stellar evolution. Of special interest are the ultramassive white dwarfs, as they are related to type Ia Supernovae explosions, merger events, and Fast Radio Bursts. Ultramassive white dwarfs are expected to harbour oxygen-neon (ONe) cores as a result of single standard stellar evolution. However, a fraction of them could have carbon-oxygen (CO) cores. Recent studies, based on the new observations provided by the {\it Gaia} space mission, indicate that a small fraction of the ultramassive white dwarfs experience a strong delay in their cooling, which cannot be attributed only to the occurrence of crystallization, thus requiring an unknown energy source able to prolong their life for long periods of time. In this study we find that the energy released by $^{22}$Ne sedimentation in the deep interior of ultramassive white dwarfs with CO cores and high $^{22}$Ne content is consistent with the long cooling delay of these stellar remnants. On the basis of a synthesis study of the white dwarf population, based on Monte Carlo techniques, we find that the observations revealed by {\it Gaia} can be explained by the existence of these prolonged youth ultramassive white dwarfs. Although such a high $^{22}$Ne abundance is not consistent with the standard evolutionary channels, our results provide sustain to the existence of CO-core ultramassive white dwarfs and to the occurrence of $^{22}$Ne sedimentation.

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arXiv2021

A new instability domain of CNO-flashing low-mass He-core stars on their early white-dwarf cooling branches

Before reaching their quiescent terminal white-dwarf cooling branch, some low-mass helium-core white dwarf stellar models experience a number of nuclear flashes which greatly reduce their hydrogen envelopes. Just before the occurrence of each flash, stable hydrogen burning may be able to drive global pulsations that could be relevant to shed some light on the internal structure of these stars through asteroseismology. We present a pulsational stability analysis applied to low-mass helium-core stars on their early white-dwarf cooling branches going through CNO flashes in order to study the possibility that the $\varepsilon$ mechanism is able to excite gravity-mode pulsations. We carried out a nonadiabatic pulsation analysis for low-mass helium-core white-dwarf models going through CNO flashes during their early cooling phases. We found that the $\varepsilon$ mechanism due to stable hydrogen burning can excite low-order ($\ell= 1, 2$) gravity modes with periods between $\sim 80$ and $500\ $s, for stars with $0.2025 \lesssim M_{\star}/M_{\odot} \lesssim 0.3630$ located in an extended region of the $\log g - T_{\rm eff}$ diagram with effective temperature and surface gravity in the ranges $15\,000 \lesssim T_{\rm eff} \lesssim 38\,000\ $K and $5.8 \lesssim \log g \lesssim 7.1$, respectively. Since the timescales required for these modes to reach amplitudes large enough to be observable are shorter than their corresponding evolutionary timescales, the detection of pulsations in these stars is feasible. If a low-mass white dwarf star were found to pulsate with low-order gravity modes in this region of instability, it would confirm our result that such pulsations can be driven by the $\varepsilon$ mechanism. In addition, confirming a rapid rate of period change in these pulsations would support that these stars actually experience CNO flashes, as predicted by evolutionary calculations.

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arXiv2020

The pulsational properties of ultra-massive DB white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen cores coming from single-star evolution

Ultra-massive white dwarfs are relevant for their role as type Ia Supernova progenitors, the occurrence of physical processes in the asymptotic giant-branch phase, the existence of high-field magnetic white dwarfs, and the occurrence of double white dwarf mergers. Some hydrogen-rich ultra-massive white dwarfs are pulsating stars, and as such, they offer the possibility of studying their interiors through asteroseismology. On the other hand, pulsating helium-rich ultra-massive white dwarfs could be even more attractive objects for asteroseismology if they were found, as they should be hotter and less crystallized than pulsating hydrogen-rich white dwarfs, something that would pave the way for probing their deep interiors. We explore the pulsational properties of ultra-massive helium-rich white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen and oxygen-neon cores resulting from single stellar evolution. Our goal is to provide a theoretical basis that could eventually help to discern the core composition of ultra-massive white dwarfs and the scenario of their formation through asteroseismology, anticipating the possible future detection of pulsations in this type of stars. We find that, given that the white dwarf models coming from the three scenarios considered are characterized by distinct core chemical profiles, their pulsation properties are also different, thus leading to distinctive signatures in the period-spacing and mode-trapping properties. Our results indicate that, in case of an eventual detection of pulsating ultra-massive helium-rich white dwarfs, it would be possible to derive valuable information encrypted in the core of these stars in connection with the origin of such exotic objects. The detection of pulsations in these stars has many chances to be achieved soon through observations collected with ongoing space missions.

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arXiv2020

The formation of ultra-massive carbon-oxygen core white dwarfs and their evolutionary and pulsational properties

(Abridged abstract) We explore the formation of ultra-massive (M_{\rm WD} \gtrsim 1.05 M_\sun$), carbon-oxygen core white dwarfs resulting from single stellar evolution. We also study their evolutionary and pulsational properties and compare them with those of the ultra-massive white dwarfs with oxygen-neon cores resulting from carbon burning in single progenitor stars, and with binary merger predictions. We consider two single-star evolution scenarios for the formation of ultra-massive carbon-oxygen core white dwarfs that involve rotation of the degenerate core after core helium burning and reduced mass-loss rates in massive asymptotic giant-branch stars. We compare our findings with the predictions from ultra-massive white dwarfs resulting from the merger of two equal-mass carbon-oxygen core white dwarfs, by assuming complete mixing between them and a carbon-oxygen core for the merged remnant. The resulting ultra-massive carbon-oxygen core white dwarfs evolve markedly slower than their oxygen-neon counterparts. Our study strongly suggests the formation of ultra-massive white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen core from single stellar evolution. We find that both the evolutionary and pulsation properties of these white dwarfs are markedly different from those of their oxygen-neon core counterparts and from those white dwarfs with carbon-oxygen core that might result from double degenerate mergers. This can eventually be used to discern the core composition of ultra-massive white dwarfs and their formation scenario.

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arXiv2020

Pulsating hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs observed with TESS: I. Asteroseismology of the GW Vir stars RX J2117+3412, HS 2324+3944, NGC 6905, NGC 1501, NGC 2371, and K 1-16

In this paper, we present a detailed asteroseismological analysis of six GW Vir stars including the observations collected by the TESS mission. We processed and analyzed TESS observations of RX J2117+3412, HS 2324+3944, NGC 6905, NGC 1501, NGC 2371, and K 1-16. We carried out a detailed asteroseismological analysis of these stars on the basis of PG 1159 evolutionary models that take into account the complete evolution of the progenitor stars. In total, we extracted 58 periodicities from the TESS light curves using a standard pre-whitening procedure to derive the potential pulsation frequencies. All the oscillation frequencies that we found are associated with g-mode pulsations with periods spanning from $\sim 817$ s to $\sim 2682$ s. We find constant period spacings for all but one star, which allowed us to infer their stellar masses and constrain the harmonic degree $\ell$ of the modes. We performed period-to-period fit analyses on five of the six analyzed stars. For four stars, we were able to find an asteroseismological model with masses in agreement with the stellar-mass values inferred from the period spacings, and generally compatible with the spectroscopic masses. We estimated the seismological distance and compared it with the precise astrometric distance measured with GAIA. Finally, we find that the period spectrum of K 1-16 exhibits dramatic changes in frequency and amplitude. The high-quality data collected by the TESS space mission, considered simultaneously with ground-based observations, are able to provide a very valuable input to the asteroseismology of GW Vir stars, similar to the case of other classes of pulsating white-dwarf stars. The TESS mission, in conjunction with future space missions and upcoming surveys, will make impressive progress in white-dwarf asteroseismology.

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arXiv2020

A first asteroseismological analysis on WD J1916+3938, the ZZ Ceti star discovered in the Kepler mission field

Asteroseismology of DAV stars (ZZ Ceti variables) can provide valuable clues about the origin, structure and evolution of DA (atmospheres rich in H) white dwarfs. Recently, a new DAV star, WD J191643.83+393849.7, has been discovered in the field of the Kepler spacecraft. It is expected that further monitoring of this star in the next years will enable astronomers to obtain the best lightcurve of a pulsating DA white dwarf ever recorded, and thus to know with unprecedented precision the hidden details of the internal structure of this star. In this paper, we perform a first asteroseismological analysis of WD J191643.83+393849.7 on the basis of fully evolutionary DA white-dwarf models. Specifically, we employ a complete set of evolutionary DA white-dwarf structures covering a wide range of effective temperatures, stellar masses, and H envelope thicknesses. These models have been obtained on the basis of a complete treatment of the evolutionary history of progenitors stars. We compute g-mode adiabatic pulsation periods for this set of models and compare them with the pulsation periods exhibited by WD J191643.83+393849.7. Based on a tentative estimation of the mean period spacing of the star, we find that the stellar mass should be substantially large ($\gtrsim 0.80 M_{\odot}$), in agreement with the spectroscopically derived stellar mass. Also, from period-to-period fits we find an asteroseismological model characterised by a low effective temperature, rather high stellar mass and a thin H envelope. The possibility that this rather massive pulsating white dwarf can be further monitored with Kepler with a high degree of detail turns the star WD J191643.83+393849.7 into a promising and unique object to study the physics of crystallization and carbon/oxygen phase diagrams at high densities. ALL THIS ANALYSIS IS OUTDATED AND INVALID

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