The CoRoT B-type binary HD 50230: a prototypical hybrid pulsator with g-mode period and p-mode frequency spacings⋆

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012), 542

Context. B-type stars are promising targets for asteroseismic modelling, since their frequency spectrum is relatively simple. <BR /> Aims: We deduce and summarise observational constraints for the hybrid ... [more ▼]

Context. B-type stars are promising targets for asteroseismic modelling, since their frequency spectrum is relatively simple. <BR /> Aims: We deduce and summarise observational constraints for the hybrid pulsator, HD 50230, earlier reported to have deviations from a uniform period spacing of its gravity modes. The combination of spectra and a high-quality light curve measured by the CoRoT satellite allow a combined approach to fix the position of HD 50230 in the HR diagram. <BR /> Methods: To describe the observed pulsations, classical Fourier analysis was combined with short-time Fourier transformations and frequency spacing analysis techniques. Visual spectra were used to constrain the projected rotation rate of the star and the fundamental parameters of the target. In a first approximation, the combined information was used to interpret multiplets and spacings to infer the true surface rotation rate and a rough estimate of the inclination angle. <BR /> Results: We identify HD 50230 as a spectroscopic binary and characterise the two components. We detect the simultaneous presence of high-order g modes and low-order p and g-modes in the CoRoT light curve, but were unable to link them to line profile variations in the spectroscopic time series. We extract the relevant information from the frequency spectrum, which can be used for seismic modelling, and explore possible interpretations of the pressure mode spectrum. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. Based on observations made with the ESO telescopes at La Silla Observatory under the ESO Large Programme LP182.D-0356, and on observations made with the Mercator Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma by the Flemish Community, at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and on observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph, which is supported by the Fund for Scientific Research of Flanders (FWO), Belgium, the Research Council of K.U. Leuven, Belgium, the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), Belgium, the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the Observatoire de Genève, Switzerland and the Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany.Appendix A is available in electronic form at <A href="http://www.aanda.org">http://www.aanda.org</A> [less ▲]

Modelling a high-mass red giant observed by CoRoT

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012), 538

Context. The advent of space-borne photometers such as CoRoT and Kepler has opened up new fields in asteroseismology. This is especially true for red giants as only a few of these stars were known to ... [more ▼]

Context. The advent of space-borne photometers such as CoRoT and Kepler has opened up new fields in asteroseismology. This is especially true for red giants as only a few of these stars were known to oscillate with small amplitude, solar-like oscillations before the launch of CoRoT. <BR /> Aims: The G6 giant HR 2582 (HD 50890) was observed by CoRoT for approximately 55 days. We present here the analysis of its light curve and the characterisation of the star using different observables, such as its location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and seismic observables. <BR /> Methods: Mode frequencies are extracted from the observed Fourier spectrum of the light curve. Numerical stellar models are then computed to determine the characteristics of the star (mass, age, etc.) from the comparison with observational constraints. <BR /> Results: We provide evidence for the presence of solar-like oscillations at low frequency, between 10 and 20 μHz, with a regular spacing of (1.7 ± 0.1) μHz between consecutive radial orders. Only radial modes are clearly visible. From the models compatible with the observational constraints used here, We find that HR 2582 (HD 50890) is a massive star with a mass in the range (3-5 M[SUB]&sun;[/SUB]), clearly above the red clump. It oscillates with rather low radial order (n = 5-12) modes. Its evolutionary stage cannot be determined with precision: the star could be on the ascending red giant branch (hydrogen shell burning) with an age of approximately 155 Myr or in a later phase (helium burning). In order to obtain a reasonable helium amount, the metallicity of the star must be quite subsolar. Our best models are obtained with a mixing length significantly smaller than that obtained for the Sun with the same physical description (except overshoot). The amount of core overshoot during the main-sequence phase is found to be mild, of the order of 0.1 H[SUB]p[/SUB]. <BR /> Conclusions: HR 2582 (HD 50890) is an interesting case as only a few massive stars can be observed due to their rapid evolution compared to less massive red giants. HR 2582 (HD 50890) is also one of the few cases that can be used to validate the scaling relations for massive red giants stars and its sensitivity to the physics of the star. The CoRoT space mission, launched on 2006 December 27, was developed and is operated by the CNES with participation of the Science Programs of ESA; ESA's RSSD, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain. [less ▲]

Variability in the CoRoT photometry of three hot O-type stars. HD 46223, HD 46150, and HD 46966

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011), 533

Context. The detection of pulsational frequencies in stellar photometry is required as input for asteroseismological modelling. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT mission has provided photometric ... [more ▼]

Context. The detection of pulsational frequencies in stellar photometry is required as input for asteroseismological modelling. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT mission has provided photometric data of unprecedented quality and time-coverage for a number of O-type stars. <BR /> Aims: We analyse the CoRoT data corresponding to three hot O-type stars, describing the properties of their light curves and search for pulsational frequencies, which we then compare to theoretical model predictions. <BR /> Methods: We determine the amplitude spectrum of the data, using the Lomb-Scargle and a multifrequency HMM-like technique. Frequencies are extracted by prewhitening, and their significance is evaluated under the assumption that the light curve is dominated by red noise. We search for harmonics, linear combinations, and regular spacings among these frequencies. We use simulations with the same time sampling as the data as a powerful tool to judge the significance of our results. From the theoretical point of view, we use the MAD non-adiabatic pulsation code to determine the expected frequencies of excited modes. <BR /> Results: A substantial number of frequencies is listed, but none can be convincingly identified as being connected to pulsations. The amplitude spectrum is dominated by red noise. Theoretical modelling shows that all three O-type stars can have excited modes, but the relation between the theoretical frequencies and the observed spectrum is not obvious. <BR /> Conclusions: The dominant red noise component in the hot O-type stars studied here clearly points to a different origin than the pulsations seen in cooler O stars. The physical cause of this red noise is unclear, but we speculate on the possibility of sub-surface convection, granulation, or stellar wind inhomogeneities being responsible. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain.Tables 2-4 are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/533/A4">http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/533/A4</A> [less ▲]

CoRoT high-precision photometry of the B0.5 IV star HD 51756

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011), 528

Context. OB stars are important constituents for the ecology of the Universe, and there are only a few studies on their pulsational properties detailed enough to provide important feedback on current ... [more ▼]

Context. OB stars are important constituents for the ecology of the Universe, and there are only a few studies on their pulsational properties detailed enough to provide important feedback on current evolutionary models. <BR /> Aims: Our goal is to analyse and interpret the behaviour present in the CoRoT light curve of the B0.5 IV star HD 51756 observed during the second long run of the space mission and to determine the fundamental stellar parameters from ground-based spectroscopy gathered with the Coralie and Harps instruments after checking for signs of variability and binarity, thus making a step further in mapping the top of the β Cep instability strip. <BR /> Methods: We compared the newly obtained high-resolution spectra with synthetic spectra of late O-type and early B-type stars computed on a grid of stellar parameters. We matched the results with evolutionary tracks to estimate stellar parameters. We used various time series analysis tools to explore the nature of the variations present in the light curve. Additional calculations were carried out based on distance and historical position measurements of the components to impose constraints on the binary orbit. <BR /> Results: We find that HD 51756 is a wide binary with both a slow (vsini ≈ 28 km s[SUP]-1[/SUP]) and a fast (vsini ≈ 170 km s[SUP]-1[/SUP]) early-B rotator whose atmospheric parameters are similar (T[SUB]eff[/SUB] ≈ 30 000 K and log g ≈ 3.75). We are unable to detect pulsation in any of the components, and we interpret the harmonic structure in the frequency spectrum as a sign of rotational modulation, which is compatible with the observed and deduced stellar parameters of both components. <BR /> Conclusions: The non-detection of pulsation modes provides a feedback on the theoretical treatment, given that non-adiabatic computations applied to appropriate stellar models predict the excitation of both pressure and gravity modes for the fundamental parameters of this star. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain.Based on data gathered with Coralie installed on the 1.2 m Euler telescope at La Silla, Chile; and Harps installed on the 3.6 m ESO telescope (ESO Large Programme 182.D-0356) at La Silla, Chile.Appendix A is only available in electronic form at <A href="http://www.aanda.org">http://www.aanda.org</A> [less ▲]

Plaskett's star: analysis of the CoRoT photometric data

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011), 525

Context. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT space mission for asteroseismology was partly devoted to stars belonging to the Mon OB2 association. An intense monitoring has been performed on Plaskett ... [more ▼]

Context. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT space mission for asteroseismology was partly devoted to stars belonging to the Mon OB2 association. An intense monitoring has been performed on Plaskett's star (HD 47129) and the unprecedented quality of the light curve allows us to shed new light on this very massive, non-eclipsing binary system. <BR /> Aims: We particularly aimed at detecting periodic variability that might be associated with pulsations or interactions between both components. We also searched for variations related to the orbital cycle that could help to constrain the inclination and the morphology of the binary system. <BR /> Methods: We applied an iterative Fourier-based prewhitening and a multiperiodic fitting procedure to analyse the time series and extract the frequencies of variations from the CoRoT light curve. We describe the noise properties to tentatively define an appropriate significance criterion and, in consequence, to only point out the peaks at a certain significance level. We also detect the variations related to the orbital motion and study them with the NIGHTFALL programme. <BR /> Results: The periodogram computed from Plaskett's star CoRoT light curve mainly exhibits a majority of peaks at low frequencies. Among these peaks, we highlight a list of 43 values, notably including two different sets of harmonic frequencies whose fundamental peaks are located at about 0.07 and 0.82 d[SUP]-1[/SUP]. The former represents the orbital frequency of the binary system, whilst the latter could probably be associated with non-radial pulsations. The study of the 0.07 d[SUP]-1[/SUP] variations reveals a hot spot most probably situated on the primary star and facing the secondary. <BR /> Conclusions: The investigation of this unique dataset constitutes a further step in the understanding of Plaskett's star. These results provide a first basis for future seismic modelling and put forward the probable existence of non-radial pulsations in Plaskett's star. Moreover, the fit of the orbital variations confirms the problem of the distance of this system which was already mentioned in previous works. A hot region between both components renders the determination of the inclination ambiguous. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain.Table 2 is only available in electronic form at <A href="http://www.aanda.org">http://www.aanda.org</A> [less ▲]

The PLATO End-to-End CCD Simulator -- Modelling space-based ultra-high precision CCD photometry for the assessment study of the PLATO Mission

in Astronomische Nachrichten (2010, October 09), 331(9-10),

The PLATO satellite mission project is a next generation ESA Cosmic Vision satellite project dedicated to the detection of exo-planets and to asteroseismology of their host-stars using ultra-high ... [more ▼]

The PLATO satellite mission project is a next generation ESA Cosmic Vision satellite project dedicated to the detection of exo-planets and to asteroseismology of their host-stars using ultra-high precision photometry. The main goal of the PLATO mission is to provide a full statistical analysis of exo-planetary systems around stars that are bright and close enough for detailed follow-up studies. Many aspects concerning the design trade-off of a space-based instrument and its performance can best be tackled through realistic simulations of the expected observations. The complex interplay of various noise sources in the course of the observations made such simulations an indispensable part of the assessment study of the PLATO Payload Consortium. We created an end-to-end CCD simulation software-tool, dubbed PLATOSim, which simulates photometric time-series of CCD images by including realistic models of the CCD and its electronics, the telescope optics, the stellar field, the pointing uncertainty of the satellite (or Attitude Control System [ACS] jitter), and all important natural noise sources. The main questions that were addressed with this simulator were the noise properties of different photometric algorithms, the selection of the optical design, the allowable jitter amplitude, and the expected noise budget of light-curves as a function of the stellar magnitude for different parameter conditions. The results of our simulations showed that the proposed multi-telescope concept of PLATO can fulfil the defined scientific goal of measuring more than 20000 cool dwarfs brighter than mV =11 with a precision better than 27 ppm/h which is essential for the study of earth-like exo-planetary systems using the transit method. [less ▲]

Exploring the magnetic topologies of cool stars

in IAU Symposium Proceedings (2010, September 01)

Magnetic fields of cool stars can be directly investigated through the study of the Zeeman effect on photospheric spectral lines using several approaches. With spectroscopic measurement in unpolarised ... [more ▼]

Magnetic fields of cool stars can be directly investigated through the study of the Zeeman effect on photospheric spectral lines using several approaches. With spectroscopic measurement in unpolarised light, the total magnetic flux averaged over the stellar disc can be derived but very little information on the field geometry is available. Spectropolarimetry provides a complementary information on the large-scale component of the magnetic topology. With Zeeman-Doppler Imaging (ZDI), this information can be retrieved to produce a map of the vector magnetic field at the surface of the star, and in particular to assess the relative importance of the poloidal and toroidal components as well as the degree of axisymmetry of the field distribution. The development of high-performance spectropolarimeters associated with multi-lines techniques and ZDI allows us to explore magnetic topologies throughout the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, on stars spanning a wide range of mass, age and rotation period. These observations bring novel constraints on magnetic field generation by dynamo effect in cool stars. In particular, the study of solar twins brings new insight on the impact of rotation on the solar dynamo, whereas the detection of strong and stable dipolar magnetic fields on fully convective stars questions the precise role of the tachocline in this process. [less ▲]

Non-radial oscillations in the red giant HR 7349 measured by CoRoT

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2010), 509

Context. Convection in red giant stars excites resonant acoustic waves whose frequencies depend on the sound speed inside the star, which in turn depends on the properties of the stellar interior ... [more ▼]

Context. Convection in red giant stars excites resonant acoustic waves whose frequencies depend on the sound speed inside the star, which in turn depends on the properties of the stellar interior. Therefore, asteroseismology is the most robust available method for probing the internal structure of red giant stars. <BR /> Aims: Solar-like oscillations in the red giant HR 7349 are investigated. <BR /> Methods: Our study is based on a time series of 380 760 photometric measurements spread over 5 months obtained with the CoRoT satellite. Mode parameters were estimated using maximum likelihood estimation of the power spectrum. <BR /> Results: The power spectrum of the high-precision time series clearly exhibits several identifiable peaks between 19 and 40 μHz showing regularity with a mean large and small spacing of Πν = 3.47 ± 0.12 μHz and δν[SUB]02[/SUB] = 0.65 ± 0.10 μHz. Nineteen individual modes are identified with amplitudes in the range from 35 to 115 ppm. The mode damping time is estimated to be 14.7[SUP]+4.7[/SUP][SUB]-2.9[/SUB] days. The CoRoT space mission has been developed and is operated by CNES, with the contribution of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, ESA, Germany and Spain. [less ▲]

Evidence for nonlinear resonant mode coupling in the beta Cephei star HD 180642 (V1449 Aquilae) from CoRoT photometry

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2009), 506

Context: We present the CoRoT light curve of the β Cep star HD 180642, assembled during the first long run of the space mission, as well as archival single-band photometry. <BR />Aims: Our goal is to ... [more ▼]

Context: We present the CoRoT light curve of the β Cep star HD 180642, assembled during the first long run of the space mission, as well as archival single-band photometry. <BR />Aims: Our goal is to analyse the detailed behaviour present in the light curve and interpret it in terms of excited-mode frequencies. <BR />Methods: After describing the noise properties in detail, we use various time series analyses and fitting techniques to model the CoRoT light curve, for various physical assumptions. We apply statistical goodness-of-fit criteria that allow us to select the most appropriate physical model fit to the data. <BR />Results: We conclude that the light-curve model based on nonlinear resonant frequency and phase locking provides the best representation of the data. Interpretation of the residuals is dependent on the chosen physical model used to prewhiten the data. <BR />Conclusions: Our observational results constitute a fruitful starting point for detailed seismic stellar modelling of this large-amplitude and evolved β Cep star. The CoRoT space mission was developed and is operated by the French space agency CNES, with participation of ESA's RSSD and Science Programmes, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. Appendix A is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/506/111 Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders. [less ▲]

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first Super-Earth with measured radius

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2009), 506

We report the discovery of very shallow (DF/F = 3.4 10-4), periodic dips in the light curve of an active V = 11.7 G9V star observed by the CoRoT satellite, which we interpret as due to the presence of a ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery of very shallow (DF/F = 3.4 10-4), periodic dips in the light curve of an active V = 11.7 G9V star observed by the CoRoT satellite, which we interpret as due to the presence of a transiting companion. We describe the 3-colour CoRoT data and complementary ground-based observations that support the planetary nature of the companion. Methods. We use CoRoT color information, good angular resolution ground-based photometric observations in- and out- of transit, adaptive optics imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy and preliminary results from Radial Velocity measurements, to test the diluted eclipsing binary scenarios. The parameters of the host star are derived from optical spectra, which were then combined with the CoRoT light curve to derive parameters of the companion. We examine carefully all conceivable cases of false positives, and all tests performed support the planetary hypothesis. Blends with separation larger than 0.40 arcsec or triple systems are almost excluded with a 8 10-4 risk left. We conclude that, as far as we have been exhaustive, we have discovered a planetary companion, named CoRoT-7b, for which we derive a period of 0.853 59 +/- 3 10-5 day and a radius of Rp = 1.68 +/- 0.09 REarth. Analysis of preliminary radial velocity data yields an upper limit of 21 MEarth for the companion mass, supporting the finding. CoRoT-7b is very likely the first Super-Earth with a measured radius. [less ▲]