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Rafael A. Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to Rafael A. Garcia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

ROSE (Red-giant Oscillations Spectra Estimator): A Modular Machine-Learning Framework for Automated Asteroseismic Characterisation. I. $ν_{\max}$ and $Δν$ from TESS

Space-based photometry from Kepler and TESS has delivered oscillation spectra for hundreds of thousands of red giants, and PLATO and the Roman Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey will add more. We present ROSE, a modular machine-learning framework for automated asteroseismic characterisation of red giants, and apply two of its modules to the frequency of maximum oscillation power, $ν_{\rm max}$, and the large frequency separation, $Δν$. Each module is a neural network bundled with its own preprocessing transform and output binning, so that each parameter is measured in the representation that displays it most effectively: $ν_{\rm max}$ from the power-density spectrum, and $Δν$ from the power spectrum of the power spectrum taken over a window centred on $ν_{\rm max}$. Both are trained only on synthetic spectra generated at a one-year baseline and both return probability distributions rather than point estimates. This enables us to retrieve asymmetric uncertainty and a reliability index. Validating against held-out synthetic spectra, Kepler spectra at the training resolution and TESS continuous-viewing-zone giants, we obtain robust dispersions of 1.4, 3.3 and 4.4% in $ν_{\rm max}$ and 0.35, 0.61 and 1.3% in $Δν$, with the $ν_{\rm max}$ uncertainties close to their nominal coverage. The fully automated pipeline was applied to 274,721 TESS red-giant candidates observed for at least ten sectors, the framework returning reliable $ν_{\rm max}$ for 56,224 stars and reliable $Δν$ for 39,939, taking 8 ms per star. The sample follows $Δν= 0.278 ν_{\rm max}^{0.757}$ with a scatter of 6.2%, and the red-clump phase stands out as a distinct overdensity, although neither module is provided an evolutionary label or asked to produce one.

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On the feasibility of inverting the rotation of the solar core with mixed f/g modes

Context: Thanks to helioseismology, the rotation profile of the Sun has been measured with great precision down to 20% of its total radius. This rotation profile is used as a calibration to infer the rotation of other stars as well as a test of angular momentum transport theory in stellar interiors. However, the deepest 20% of the layers remain out of reach of current observations, preventing astronomers to discriminate between currently competing angular momentum transport mechanisms. Aims: The main obstacle is that no global oscillations modes sensitive to rotation (non-zero degree l) reaching the solar core have been detected yet, as nonradial p modes cannot reach it and g modes are evanescent at the surface and still elude detection. In this work, we propose and examine a new method to constrain the rotation of the core of the Sun, which does not require direct observation of solar g modes. Methods: It is based on a recent prediction that g modes in the radiative interior couple with f modes in the outer parts of the star. These mixed f /g are at the same time sensitive to the rotation of the core and able to reach the surface. These modes can be used together to build average inversion kernels and perform an inversion of the rotation of the solar core. Results: We find that the oscillations' spectrum of the Sun should present 6 mixed f /g modes that can be used to measure the rotation rate of the Sun at r = 0.07 and 0.2R. We estimate that the uncertainty on the measurements should be small enough to distinguish between competing scenarios of angular momentum transport in the Sun.

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Hints of enhanced magnetic activity after the intermediate rotation period gap as traced by the chromospheric Ca ii infrared triplet

For low-mass stars (M < 1.4 Msun), the connection between stellar rotation and magnetic activity governs stellar spin-down, shapes the environments of their exoplanets, and provides an age-diagnostic via magneto-gyro-chronology. Recently, unexpected phenomena known as the intermediate rotation period gap and the rotational stalling have been discovered. These are likely due to internal angular momentum redistribution, and mark departures from a smooth spin-down evolution. These features have been shown to cause enhanced magnetic activity on the photosphere, as measured by the photometric index from light curves (Sph), in both cluster and field stars. However, their influence on other magnetic activity proxies, and particularly in field stars, remains poorly understood. In this work, we study the impact of the intermediate-period gap on chromospheric magnetic activity as traced by the Ca ii infrared triplet (IRT) index. We target the stars observed by the Kepler mission, as this is the largest and most reliable sample of field stars with measured rotation periods sensitive to the gap. We calculate the Ca ii IRT index for the Kepler stars using the spectroscopic information from the Gaia mission data release three (DR3). We study the rotation-activity relation as a function of spectral type, finding that K dwarfs are more active than G dwarfs, which in turn are more active than F dwarfs. For main-sequence stars, we find that chromospheric magnetic activity is also enhanced after the intermediate-period gap, mirroring its effect on the photospheric Sph index. Our work reveals that the intermediate-period gap marks a genuine transition in stellar magnetic behavior, not only at the photosphere but also at the chromosphere. This highlights the need to account for its signatures across activity proxies, as well as its impact on exoplanet habitability and the age-rotation-activity relation.

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Mining the Kepler Field: Atmospheric Parameters, Bolometric Corrections, and Luminosities

The ~ 200,000 stars observed by the Kepler mission have provided unprecedented constraints across astrophysics. With the advent of modern spectroscopic and photometric surveys, new limits in stellar characterizations are within reach. In this work, we report a compilation of atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, and [M/H]) for the Kepler stars by crossmatching with several spectroscopic and spectro-photometric surveys. We use these to calculate bolometric corrections, which combined with color-magnitude diagram (CMD) information from Gaia yield self-consistent luminosities on a survey-by-survey basis. These properties will aid in future explorations of Kepler data towards new astrophysical insights. We make our catalog publicly available online in Zenodo (doi:10.5281/zenodo.18620911).

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Anti-Solar Differential Rotation May Have Revived Magnetic Braking in the Subgiant 31 Aquilae

Recent observations have shown that sufficiently slow rotation disrupts the organization of large-scale magnetic field in older main-sequence stars, leading to weakened magnetic braking (WMB) and a collapse in the efficiency of the global stellar dynamo. Recent simulations predict a shift from solar-like to anti-solar differential rotation (DR) at slower rotation rates, which typically do not occur on the main-sequence due to WMB. However, physical expansion on the subgiant branch can eventually slow the stellar rotation beyond this threshold, yielding a non-cycling large-scale field that revives magnetic braking. We combine asteroseismology from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) with spectropolarimetry from the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) to test these predictions in the old metal-rich subgiant 31 Aql. The LBT observations reveal a strong large-scale magnetic field in this star, and archival measurements of its chromospheric emission over 50 years confirm that it is non-cycling, as predicted. The star exhibits a variety of rotation periods during different observing seasons, consistent with DR but with no means of distinguishing between solar-like and anti-solar patterns. We incorporate the TESS observations to estimate the current wind braking torque of 31 Aql, demonstrating that it supports revived magnetic braking in this old subgiant. We also use rotational evolution modeling to place a preliminary constraint on the stellar Rossby number for the transition to anti-solar DR. Future refinements in both asteroseismic observations and rotational modeling may yield improvements to this initial analysis.

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The Future of Solar modelling: requirements for a new generation of solar models

Helioseismology and solar modelling have enjoyed a golden era thanks to decades-long surveys from ground-based networks such as for example GONG, BiSON, IRIS and the SOHO and SDO space missions which have provided high-quality helioseismic observations that supplemented photometric, gravitational, size and shape, limb-darkening and spectroscopic constraints as well as measurements of neutrino fluxes. However, the success of solar models is also deeply rooted in progress in fundamental physics (equation of state of the solar plasma, high-quality atomic physics computations and opacities, description of convection and the role of macroscopic transport processes of angular momentum and chemicals, such as for example meridional circulation, internal gravity waves, shear-induced turbulence or even convection. In this paper, we briefly outline some key areas of research that deserve particular attention in solar modelling. We discuss the current uncertainties that need to be addressed, how these limit our predictions from solar models and their impact on stellar evolution in general. We outline potential strategies to mitigate them and how multidisciplinary approaches will be needed in the future to tackle them.

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Testing the Rossby Paradigm: Weakened Magnetic Braking in early K-type Stars

There is an intricate relationship between the organization of large-scale magnetic fields by a stellar dynamo and the rate of angular momentum loss due to magnetized stellar winds. An essential ingredient for the operation of a large-scale dynamo is the Coriolis force, which imprints organizing flows on the global convective patterns and inhibits the complete cancellation of bipolar magnetic regions. Consequently, it is natural to expect a rotational threshold for large-scale dynamo action and for the efficient angular momentum loss that it mediates through magnetic braking. Here we present new observational constraints on magnetic braking for an evolutionary sequence of six early K-type stars. To determine the wind braking torque for each of our targets, we combine spectropolarimetric constraints on the large-scale magnetic field, Ly-alpha or X-ray constraints on the mass-loss rate, as well as uniform estimates of the stellar rotation period, mass, and radius. As identified previously from similar observations of hotter stars, we find that the wind braking torque decreases abruptly by more than an order of magnitude at a critical value of the stellar Rossby number. Given that all of the stars in our sample exhibit clear activity cycles, we suggest that weakened magnetic braking may coincide with the operation of a subcritical stellar dynamo.

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Structure and Dynamics of the Sun's Interior Revealed by Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager

High-resolution helioseismology observations with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provide a unique three-dimensional view of the solar interior structure and dynamics, revealing a tremendous complexity of the physical processes inside the Sun. We present an overview of the results of the HMI helioseismology program and discuss their implications for modern theoretical models and simulations of the solar interior.

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Tracing back a second-generation star stripped from Terzan 5 by the Galactic bar

The Galactic bulge hosts the Milky Way's oldest stars, possibly coming from disrupted globular clusters (GCs) or the bulge's primordial building blocks, making these stars witnesses to the Galaxy's early chemical enrichment. The Galactic bar currently dominates the bulge's region, altering the orbits of objects formed before its formation and complicating the trace of the field stars' original clusters. Here, we present the discovery of a fossil record of this evolution, SOS1 -- a star trapped in the bar, exhibiting significant enhancements in nitrogen, sodium, and aluminum, typical of second-generation GC stars. SOS1 also shows an s-process Ce enhancement, suggesting an old age and early enrichment by fast-rotating massive stars in the Galaxy's earliest phases. With the purpose of finding the SOS1's parent GC, we derive its precise chemodynamical properties by combining high-precision proper motions from Gaia with APOGEE detailed chemical abundances. Our analysis suggests that SOS1 was possibly stripped from the GC Terzan 5 by the Galactic bar's gravitational influence approximately 350 Myr ago. We also found chemical similarities suggesting that SOS1 belonged to the most metal-poor, ancient, and peripheral stellar population of Terzan 5. These results not only support the hypothesis that Terzan 5 is a remnant of a primordial building block of the Galactic bulge, but also suggest this cluster continues losing stars to the bar. Our method highlights how powerful the use of chemodynamical properties in the Gaia era is for tracing the Galaxy's evolutionary history.

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Seismic differences between solar magnetic cycles 23 and 24 for low-degree modes

Solar magnetic activity follows regular cycles of about 11 years with an inversion of polarity in the poles every 22 years. This changing surface magnetism impacts the properties of the acoustic modes. The acoustic mode frequency shifts are a good proxy of the magnetic cycle. In this Letter we investigate solar magnetic activity cycles 23 and 24 through the evolution of the frequency shifts of low-degree modes (l= 0, 1, and 2) in three frequency bands. These bands probe properties between 74 and 1575 km beneath the surface. The analysis was carried out using observations from the space instrument Global Oscillations at Low Frequency and the ground-based Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network and Global Oscillation Network Group. The frequency shifts of radial modes suggest that changes in the magnetic field amplitude and configuration likely occur near the Sun's surface rather than near its core. The maximum shifts of solar cycle 24 occurred earlier at mid and high latitudes (relative to the equator) and about 1550 km beneath the photosphere. At this depth but near the equator, this maximum aligns with the surface activity but has a stronger magnitude. At around 74 km deep, the behaviour near the equator mirrors the behaviour at the surface, while at higher latitudes, it matches the strength of cycle 23.

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APOKASC-3: The Third Joint Spectroscopic and Asteroseismic catalog for Evolved Stars in the Kepler Fields

In the third APOKASC catalog, we present data for the complete sample of 15,808 evolved stars with APOGEE spectroscopic parameters and Kepler asteroseismology. We used ten independent asteroseismic analysis techniques and anchor our system on fundamental radii derived from Gaia $L$ and spectroscopic $T_{\rm eff}$. We provide evolutionary state, asteroseismic surface gravity, mass, radius, age, and the spectroscopic and asteroseismic measurements used to derive them for 12,418 stars. This includes 10,036 exceptionally precise measurements, with median fractional uncertainties in \nmax, \dnu, mass, radius and age of 0.6\%, 0.6\%, 3.8\%, 1.8\%, and 11.1\% respectively. We provide more limited data for 1,624 additional stars which either have lower quality data or are outside of our primary calibration domain. Using lower red giant branch (RGB) stars, we find a median age for the chemical thick disk of $9.14 \pm 0.05 ({\rm ran}) \pm 0.9 ({\rm sys})$ Gyr with an age dispersion of 1.1 Gyr, consistent with our error model. We calibrate our red clump (RC) mass loss to derive an age consistent with the lower RGB and provide asymptotic GB and RGB ages for luminous stars. We also find a sharp upper age boundary in the chemical thin disk. We find that scaling relations are precise and accurate on the lower RGB and RC, but they become more model dependent for more luminous giants and break down at the tip of the RGB. We recommend the usage of multiple methods, calibration to a fundamental scale, and the usage of stellar models to interpret frequency spacings.

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TESS asteroseismology of $β$ Hydri: a subgiant with a born-again dynamo

The solar-type subgiant $β$ Hyi has long been studied as an old analog of the Sun. Although the rotation period has never been measured directly, it was estimated to be near 27 days. As a southern hemisphere target it was not monitored by long-term stellar activity surveys, but archival International Ultraviolet Explorer data revealed a 12 year activity cycle. Previous ground-based asteroseismology suggested that the star is slightly more massive and substantially larger and older than the Sun, so the similarity of both the rotation rate and the activity cycle period to solar values is perplexing. We use two months of precise time-series photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to detect solar-like oscillations in $β$ Hyi and determine the fundamental stellar properties from asteroseismic modeling. We also obtain a direct measurement of the rotation period, which was previously estimated from an ultraviolet activity-rotation relation. We then use rotational evolution modeling to predict the rotation period expected from either standard spin-down or weakened magnetic braking (WMB). We conclude that the rotation period of $β$ Hyi is consistent with WMB, and that changes in stellar structure on the subgiant branch can reinvigorate the large-scale dynamo and briefly sustain magnetic activity cycles. Our results support the existence of a "born-again" dynamo in evolved subgiants -- previously suggested to explain the cycle in 94 Aqr Aa -- which can best be understood within the WMB scenario.

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Asteroseismology and Spectropolarimetry of the Exoplanet Host Star $λ$ Serpentis

The bright star $λ$ Ser hosts a hot Neptune with a minimum mass of 13.6 $M_\oplus$ and a 15.5 day orbit. It also appears to be a solar analog, with a mean rotation period of 25.8 days and surface differential rotation very similar to the Sun. We aim to characterize the fundamental properties of this system, and to constrain the evolutionary pathway that led to its present configuration. We detect solar-like oscillations in time series photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and we derive precise asteroseismic properties from detailed modeling. We obtain new spectropolarimetric data, and we use them to reconstruct the large-scale magnetic field morphology. We reanalyze the complete time series of chromospheric activity measurements from the Mount Wilson Observatory, and we present new X-ray and ultraviolet observations from the Chandra and Hubble space telescopes. Finally, we use the updated observational constraints to assess the rotational history of the star and to estimate the wind braking torque. We conclude that the remaining uncertainty on stellar age currently prevents an unambiguous interpretation of the properties of $λ$ Ser, and that the rate of angular momentum loss appears to be higher than for other stars with similar Rossby number. Future asteroseismic observations may help to improve the precision of the stellar age.

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Asteroseismology with the Roman Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey

Asteroseismology has transformed stellar astrophysics. Red giant asteroseismology is a prime example, with oscillation periods and amplitudes that are readily detectable with time-domain space-based telescopes. These oscillations can be used to infer masses, ages and radii for large numbers of stars, providing unique constraints on stellar populations in our galaxy. The cadence, duration, and spatial resolution of the Roman galactic bulge time-domain survey (GBTDS) are well-suited for asteroseismology and will probe an important population not studied by prior missions. We identify photometric precision as a key requirement for realizing the potential of asteroseismology with Roman. A precision of 1 mmag per 15-min cadence or better for saturated stars will enable detections of the populous red clump star population in the Galactic bulge. If the survey efficiency is better than expected, we argue for repeat observations of the same fields to improve photometric precision, or covering additional fields to expand the stellar population reach if the photometric precision for saturated stars is better than 1 mmag. Asteroseismology is relatively insensitive to the timing of the observations during the mission, and the prime red clump targets can be observed in a single 70 day campaign in any given field. Complementary stellar characterization, particularly astrometry tied to the Gaia system, will also dramatically expand the diagnostic power of asteroseismology. We also highlight synergies to Roman GBTDS exoplanet science using transits and microlensing.

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The APO-K2 Catalog. I. 7,673 Red Giants with Fundamental Stellar Parameters from APOGEE DR17 Spectroscopy and K2-GAP Asteroseismology

We present a catalog of fundamental stellar properties for 7,673 evolved stars, including stellar radii and masses, determined from the combination of spectroscopic observations from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS), and asteroseismology from K2. The resulting APO-K2 catalog provides spectroscopically derived temperatures and metallicities, asteroseismic global parameters, evolutionary states, and asteroseismically-derived masses and radii. Additionally, we include kinematic information from \textit{Gaia}. We investigate the multi-dimensional space of abundance, stellar mass, and velocity with an eye toward applications in Galactic archaeology. The APO-K2 sample has a large population of low metallicity stars ($\sim$288 at [M/H] $\leq$ $-$1), and their asteroseismic masses are larger than astrophysical estimates. We argue that this may reflect offsets in the adopted fundamental temperature scale for metal-poor stars rather than metallicity-dependent issues with interpreting asteroseismic data. We characterize the kinematic properties of the population as a function of $α$-enhancement and position in the disk and identify those stars in the sample that are candidate components of the \textit{Gaia-Enceladus} merger. Importantly, we characterize the selection function for the APO-K2 sample as a function of metallicity, radius, mass, $ν_{\mathrm{max}}$, color, and magnitude referencing Galactic simulations and target selection criteria to enable robust statistical inferences with the catalog.

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Spectroscopic identification of rapidly rotating red giant stars in APOKASC-3 and APOGEE DR16

Rapidly rotating red giant stars are astrophysically interesting but rare. In this paper we present a catalog of 3217 active red giant candidates in the APOGEE DR16 survey. We use a control sample in the well-studied Kepler fields to demonstrate a strong relationship between rotation and anomalies in the spectroscopic solution relative to typical giants. Stars in the full survey with similar solutions are identified as candidates. We use vsin\textiti measurements to confirm 50+/- 1.2% of our candidates as definite rapid rotators, compared to 4.9+/-0.2% in the Kepler control sample. In both the Kepler control sample and a control sample from DR16, we find that there are 3-4 times as many giants rotating with 5 < vsini < 10 km s$^{-1}$ compared to vsini > 10 km s$^{-1}$, the traditional threshold for anomalous rotation for red giants. The vast majority of intermediate rotators are not spectroscopically anomalous. We use binary diagnostics from APOGEE and \textit{Gaia} to infer a binary fraction of 73+/-2.4%. We identify a significant bias in the reported metallicity for candidates with complete spectroscopic solutions, with median offsets of 0.37 dex in [M/H] from a control sample. As such, up to 10% of stars with reported [M/H]<-1 are not truly metal poor. Finally, we use Gaia data to identify a sub-population of main sequence photometric binaries erroneously classified as giants.

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TESS Asteroseismic Analysis of HD 76920: The Giant Star Hosting An Extremely Eccentric Exoplanet

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission searches for new exoplanets. The observing strategy of TESS results in high-precision photometry of millions of stars across the sky, allowing for detailed asteroseismic studies of individual systems. In this work, we present a detailed asteroseismic analysis of the giant star HD 76920 hosting a highly eccentric giant planet ($e = 0.878$) with an orbital period of 415 days, using 5 sectors of TESS light curve that cover around 140 days of data. Solar-like oscillations in HD 76920 are detected around $52 \, μ$Hz by TESS for the first time. By utilizing asteroseismic modeling that takes classical observational parameters and stellar oscillation frequencies as constraints, we determine improved measurements of the stellar mass ($1.22 \pm 0.11\, M_\odot$), radius ($8.68 \pm 0.34\,R_\odot$), and age ($5.2 \pm 1.4\,$Gyr). With the updated parameters of the host star, we update the semi-major axis and mass of the planet as $a=1.165 \pm 0.035$ au and $M_{\rm p}\sin{i} = 3.57 \pm 0.22\,M_{\rm Jup}$. With an orbital pericenter of $0.142 \pm 0.005$ au, we confirm that the planet is currently far away enough from the star to experience negligible tidal decay until being engulfed in the stellar envelope. We also confirm that this event will occur within about 100\,Myr, depending on the stellar model used.

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A 4 Gyr M-dwarf Gyrochrone from CFHT/MegaPrime Monitoring of the Open Cluster M67

We present stellar rotation periods for late K- and early M-dwarf members of the 4 Gyr old open cluster M67 as calibrators for gyrochronology and tests of stellar spin-down models. Using Gaia EDR3 astrometry for cluster membership and Pan-STARRS (PS1) photometry for binary identification, we build this set of rotation periods from a campaign of monitoring M67 with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope's MegaPrime wide field imager. We identify 1807 members of M67, of which 294 are candidate single members with significant rotation period detections. Moreover, we fit a polynomial to the period versus color-derived effective temperature sequence observed in our data. We find that the rotation of very cool dwarfs can be explained by a simple solid-body spin-down between 2.7 and 4 Gyr. We compare this rotational sequence to the predictions of gyrochronological models and find that the best match is Skumanich-like spin-down, P_rot \propto t^0.62, applied to the sequence of Ruprecht 147. This suggests that, for spectral types K7-M0 with near-solar metallicity, once a star resumes spinning down, a simple Skumanich-like is sufficient to describe their rotation evolution, at least through the age of M67. Additionally, for stars in the range M1-M3, our data show that spin-down must have resumed prior to the age of M67, in conflict with predictions of the latest spin-down models.

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