No Arabic abstract
With four years of nearly-continuous photometry from Kepler, we are finally in a good position to apply asteroseismology to $gamma$ Doradus stars. In particular several analyses have demonstrated the possibility to detect non-uniform period spacings, which have been predicted to be directly related to rotation. In the present work, we define a new seismic diagnostic for rotation in $gamma$ Doradus stars that are too rapidly rotating to present rotational splittings. Based on the non uniformity of their period spacings, we define the observable $Sigma$ as the slope of the period spacing when plotted as a function of period. We provide a one-to-one relation between this observable $Sigma$ and the internal rotation, which applies widely in the instability strip of $gamma$ Doradus stars. We apply the diagnostic to a handful of stars observed by Kepler. Thanks to g-modes in $gamma$ Doradus stars, we are now able to determine the internal rotation of stars on the lower main sequence, which is still not possible for Sun-like stars.
Transport of angular momentum in stellar interiors is currently not well understood. Asteroseismology can provide us with estimates of internal rotation of stars and thereby advances our understanding of angular momentum transport. We can measure core-rotation rates in red-giant stars and we can place upper bounds on surface-rotation rates using measurements of dipole ($l=1$) modes. Here, we aim to determine the theoretical sensitivity of modes of different spherical degree towards the surface rotation. Additionally, we aim to identify modes that can potentially add sensitivity at intermediate radii. We used asteroseismic rotational
The asteroseismic modelling of period spacing patterns from gravito-inertial modes in stars with a convective core is a high-dimensional problem. We utilise the measured period spacing pattern of prograde dipole gravity modes (acquiring $Pi_0$), in combination with the effective temperature ($T_{rm eff}$) and surface gravity ($log g$) derived from spectroscopy, to estimate the fundamental stellar parameters and core properties of 37 $gamma~$Doradus ($gamma~$Dor) stars whose rotation frequency has been derived from $textit{Kepler}$ photometry. We make use of two 6D grids of stellar models, one with step core overshooting and one with exponential core overshooting, to evaluate correlations between the three observables $Pi_0$, $T_{rm eff}$, and $log g$ and the mass, age, core overshooting, metallicity, initial hydrogen mass fraction and envelope mixing. We provide multivariate linear model recipes relating the stellar parameters to be estimated to the three observables ($Pi_0$, $T_{rm eff}$, $log g$). We estimate the (core) mass, age, core overshooting and metallicity of $gamma~$Dor stars from an ensemble analysis and achieve relative uncertainties of $sim!10$ per cent for the parameters. The asteroseismic age determination allows us to conclude that efficient angular momentum transport occurs already early on during the main sequence. We find that the nine stars with observed Rossby modes occur across almost the entire main-sequence phase, except close to core-hydrogen exhaustion. Future improvements of our work will come from the inclusion of more types of detected modes per star, larger samples, and modelling of individual mode frequencies.
We present a spectroscopic survey of known and candidate $gamma$,Doradus stars. The high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of 52 objects were collected by five different spectrographs. The spectral classification, atmospheric parameters (teff, $log g$, $xi$), $vsin i$ and chemical composition of the stars were derived. The stellar spectral and luminosity classes were found between G0-A7 and IV-V, respectively. The initial values for teff and logg were determined from the photometric indices and spectral energy distribution. Those parameters were improved by the analysis of hydrogen lines. The final values of teff, logg and $xi$ were derived from the iron lines analysis. The teff values were found between 6000,K and 7900,K, while logg,values range from 3.8 to 4.5,dex. Chemical abundances and $vsin i$ values were derived by the spectrum synthesis method. The $vsin i$ values were found between 5 and 240,km,s$^{-1}$. The chemical abundance pattern of $gamma$,Doradus stars were compared with the pattern of non-pulsating stars. It turned out that there is no significant difference in abundance patterns between these two groups. Additionally, the relations between the atmospheric parameters and the pulsation quantities were checked. A strong correlation between the $vsin i$ and the pulsation periods of $gamma$,Doradus variables was obtained. The accurate positions of the analysed stars in the H-R diagram have been shown. Most of our objects are located inside or close to the blue edge of the theoretical instability strip of $gamma$,Doradus.
The hot $gamma$~Doradus stars have multiple low frequencies characteristic of $gamma$~Dor or SPB variables, but are located between the red edge of the SPB and the blue edge of the $gamma$~Dor instability strips where all low-frequency modes are stable in current models of these stars. Though $delta$~Sct stars also have low frequencies, there is no sign of high frequencies in hot $gamma$~Dor stars. We obtained spectra to refine the locations of some of these stars in the H-R diagram and conclude that these are, indeed, anomalous pulsating stars. The Maia variables have multiple high frequencies characteristic of $beta$~Cep and $delta$~Sct stars, but lie between the red edge of the $beta$~Cep and the blue edge of the $delta$~Sct instability strips. We compile a list of all Maia candidates and obtain spectra of two of these stars. Again, it seems likely that these are anomalous pulsating stars which are currently not understood.
Gamma Doradus stars (hereafter gamma Dor stars) are gravity-mode pulsators of spectral type A or F. Such modes probe the deep stellar interior, offering a detailed fingerprint of their structure. Four-year high-precision space-based Kepler photometry of gamma Dor stars has become available, allowing us to study these stars with unprecedented detail. We selected, analysed, and characterized a sample of 67 gamma Dor stars for which we have Kepler observations available. For all the targets in the sample we assembled high-resolution spectroscopy to confirm their F-type nature. We found fourteen binaries, among which four single-lined binaries, five double-lined binaries, two triple systems and three binaries with no detected radial velocity variations. We estimated the orbital parameters whenever possible. For the single stars and the single-lined binaries, fundamental parameter values were determined from spectroscopy. We searched for period spacing patterns in the photometric data and identified this diagnostic for 50 of the stars in the sample, 46 of which are single stars or single-lined binaries. We found a strong correlation between the spectroscopic vsini and the period spacing values, confirming the influence of rotation on gamma Dor-type pulsations as predicted by theory. We also found relations between the dominant g-mode frequency, the longest pulsation period detected in series of prograde modes, vsini, and log Teff.