Article (Scientific journals)
The instability strip of ZZ Ceti white dwarfs I. Introduction of time-dependent convection
Van Grootel, Valérie; Dupret, Marc-Antoine; Fontaine, Gilles et al.
2012In Astronomy and Astrophysics, 539, p. 87
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Abstract :
[en] Aims. The determination of the location of the theoretical ZZ Ceti instability strip in the log g − Teff diagram has remained a challenge over the years due to the lack of a suitable treatment for convection in these stars. For the first time, a full nonadiabatic approach including time-dependent convection is applied to ZZ Ceti pulsators, and we provide the appropriate details related to the inner work- ings of the driving mechanism at work. Methods. We used the nonadiabatic pulsation code MAD with a representative evolutionary sequence of a 0.6 M⊙ DA white dwarf. This sequence is made of state-of-the-art models that include a detailed modeling of the feedback of convection on the atmospheric structure. The assumed convective efficiency in these models is the so-called ML2/α = 1.0 version. We also carried out, for comparison purposes, nonadiabatic computations within the frozen convection approximation, as well as calculations based on models with standard grey atmospheres. Results. We find that pulsational driving in ZZ Ceti stars is concentrated at the base of the superficial H convection zone, but at depths, near the blue edge of the instability strip, somewhat larger than those obtained with the frozen convection approach. Despite the fact that this approach is formally invalid in such stars, particularly near the blue edge of the instability strip, the predicted boundaries are not dramatically different in both cases. The revised blue edge for a 0.6 M⊙ model is found to be around Teff = 11,970 K, some 240 K hotter than the value predicted within the frozen convection approximation, in rather good agreement with the empirical value. On the other hand, our predicted red edge temperature for the same stellar mass is only about 5600 K (80 K hotter than with the frozen convection approach), much lower than the observed value. Conclusions. We correctly understand the development of pulsational instabilities of a white dwarf as it cools at the blue edge of the ZZ Ceti instability strip. Our current implementation of time-dependent convection however still lacks important ingredients to fully account for the observed red edge of the strip. We will explore a number of possibilities in the future papers of this series.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Van Grootel, Valérie  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique stellaire théorique et astérosismologie
Dupret, Marc-Antoine ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique stellaire théorique et astérosismologie
Fontaine, Gilles;  Université de Montréal - UdeM > Département de Physique
Brassard, Pierre;  Université de Montréal - UdeM > Département de Physique
Grigahcène, Ahmed;  Universidade do Porto > Centro de Astrofisica
Quirion, Pierre-Olivier;  Agence Spatiale Canadienne
Language :
English
Title :
The instability strip of ZZ Ceti white dwarfs I. Introduction of time-dependent convection
Publication date :
March 2012
Journal title :
Astronomy and Astrophysics
ISSN :
0004-6361
eISSN :
1432-0746
Publisher :
EDP Sciences, Les Ulis, France
Volume :
539
Pages :
87
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 19 January 2012

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