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Register a new userImpact of helium diffusion and helium-flash-induced carbon production on gravity-mode pulsations in subdwarf B stars
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Realistic stellar models are essential to the forward modelling approach in asteroseismology. For practicality however, certain model assumptions are also required. For example, in the case of subdwarf B stars, one usually starts with zero-age horizontal branch structures without following the progenitor evolution. We analyse the effects of common assumptions in subdwarf B models on the g-mode pulsational properties. We investigate if and how the pulsation periods are affected by the H-profile in the core-envelope transition zone. Furthermore, the effects of C-production and convective mixing during the core helium flash are evaluated. Finally, we reanalyse the effects of stellar opacities on the mode excitation in subdwarf B stars. We find that helium settling causes a shift in the theoretical blue edge of the g-mode instability domain to higher effective temperatures. This results in a closer match to the observed instability strip of long-period sdB pulsators, particularly for l<=3 modes. We show further that the g-mode spectrum is extremely sensitive to the H-profile in the core-envelope transition zone. If atomic diffusion is efficient, details of the initial shape of the profile become less important in the course of evolution. Diffusion broadens the chemical gradients, and results in less effective mode trapping and different pulsation periods. Furthermore, we report on the possible consequences of the He-flash for the g-modes. The outer edge of a flash-induced convective region introduces an additional chemical transition in the stellar models, and the corresponding spike in the Brunt-Vaisala frequency produces a complicated mode trapping signature in the period spacings.
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Pulsations in subdwarf B stars are attributed to radiative levitation of iron-group elements in the stellar envelope. Until now, only iron diffusion is accounted for in stellar models used for sdB seismology. However, nickel has also been suggested as a contributor to the opacity bump that drives the pulsation modes. Stellar models including time-dependent atomic diffusion, as we compute here, are needed to evaluate the importance of different iron-group elements for mode driving. We perform detailed calculations of radiative accelerations of H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Fe and Ni and include these in Burgers diffusion equations. We compute the evolution and non-adiabatic pulsations of a typical subdwarf B star. We show that, despite its lower initial abundance, nickel accumulates to comparable mass fractions as iron in the sdB envelope. For accurate determination of pulsation frequencies and mode instability, it is essential that diffusion of both metals are included in stellar models. The role of other iron-group elements remain to be evaluated.
The connection between helium-rich hot subdwarfs of spectral types O and B (He-sdB) has been relatively unexplored since the latter were found in significant numbers in the 1980s. In order to explore this connection further, we have analysed the surface composition of six He-sdB stars, including LB 1766, LB 3229, SB 21 (= Ton-S 137 = BPS 29503-0009), BPS 22940-0009, BPS 29496-0010, and BPS 22956-0094. Opacity-sampled line-blanketed model atmospheres have been used to derive atmospheric properties and elemental abundances. All the stars are moderately metal-poor compared with the Sun ([Fe/H] ~ -0.5). Four stars are nitrogen-rich, two of these are carbon-rich, and at least four appear to be neon-rich. The data are insufficient to rule out binarity in any of the sample. The surface composition and locus of the N-rich He-sdBs are currently best explained by the merger of two helium white dwarfs, or possibly by the merger of a helium white dwarf with a post-sdB white dwarf. C-rich He-sdBs require further investigation.
All evolved stars with masses $M_starlesssim 2M_odot$ undergo a helium(He)-core flash at the end of their first stage as a giant star. Although theoretically predicted more than 50 years ago, this core-flash phase has yet to be observationally probed. We show here that gravity modes (g modes) stochastically excited by He-flash driven convection are able to reach the stellar surface, and induce periodic photometric variabilities in hot-subdwarf stars with amplitudes of the order of a few mmag. As such they can now be detected by space-based photometry with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in relatively bright stars (e.g. magnitudes $I_Clesssim 13$). The range of predicted periods spans from a few thousand seconds to tens of thousand seconds, depending on the details of the excitation region. In addition, we find that stochastically excited pulsations reproduce the pulsations observed in a couple of He-rich hot subdwarf stars. These stars, and in particular the future TESS target Feige 46, are the most promising candidates to probe the He-core flash for the first time.
Subdwarf B stars show chemical peculiarities that cannot be explained by diffusion theory alone. Both mass loss and turbulence have been invoked to slow down atomic diffusion in order to match observed abundances. The fact that some sdB stars show pulsations gives upper limits on the amount of mass loss and turbulent mixing allowed. Consequently, non-adiabatic asteroseismology has the potential to decide which process is responsible for the abundance anomalies. We compute for the first time seismic properties of sdB models with atomic diffusion included consistently during the stellar evolution. The diffusion equations with radiative forces are solved for H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Fe and Ni. We examine the effects of various mass-loss rates and mixed surface masses on the abundances and mode stability. It is shown that the mass-loss rates needed to simulate the observed He abundances (10^{-14}<=Mdot [Msun/yr]<=10^{-13}) are not consistent with observed pulsations. We find that for pulsations to be driven the rates should be Mdot<=10^{-15} Msun/yr. On the other hand, weak turbulent mixing of the outer 10^{-6} Msun can explain the He abundance anomalies while still allowing pulsations to be driven. The origin of the turbulence remains unknown but the presence of pulsations gives tight constraints on the underlying turbulence model.
We explore changes in the adiabatic low-order g-mode pulsation periods of 0.526, 0.560, and 0.729 M$_odot$ carbon-oxygen white dwarf models with helium-dominated envelopes due to the presence, absence, and enhancement of $^{22}$Ne in the interior. The observed g-mode pulsation periods of such white dwarfs are typically given to 6$-$7 significant figures of precision. Usually white dwarf models without $^{22}$Ne are fit to the observed periods and other properties. The root-mean-square residuals to the $simeq$ 150$-$400 s low-order g-mode periods are typically in the range of $sigma_{rms}$ $lesssim$ 0.3 s, for a fit precision of $sigma_{rms}/ P$ $lesssim$ 0.3 %. We find average relative period shifts of $Delta P/P$ $simeq$ $pm$ 0.5 % for the low-order dipole and quadrupole g-mode pulsations within the observed effective temperature window, with the range of $Delta P/P$ depending on the specific g-mode, abundance of $^{22}$Ne, effective temperature, and mass of the white dwarf model. This finding suggests a systematic offset may be present in the fitting process of specific white dwarfs when $^{22}$Ne is absent. As part of the fitting processes involves adjusting the composition profiles of a white dwarf model, our study on the impact of $^{22}$Ne can provide new inferences on the derived interior mass fraction profiles. We encourage routinely including $^{22}$Ne mass fraction profiles, informed by stellar evolution models, to future generations of white dwarf model fitting processes.
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