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Title: DETECTION OF SOLAR-LIKE OSCILLATIONS, OBSERVATIONAL CONSTRAINTS, AND STELLAR MODELS FOR θ CYG, THE BRIGHTEST STAR OBSERVED BY THE KEPLER MISSION

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
 [1]; ; ; ; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]; ;  [6]; ;  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13] more »; « less
  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, XTD-NTA, MS T-082, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)
  2. Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark)
  3. Astrophysics Group, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG (United Kingdom)
  4. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE (United Kingdom)
  5. Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)
  6. SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)
  7. NASA Ames Research Center, Bldg. 244, MS-244-30, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)
  8. Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Universitè de Paris Sud–CNRS, Batiment 121, F-91405 ORSAY Cedex (France)
  9. Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States)
  10. Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)
  11. Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DRF—CNRS—Univ. Paris Diderot—IRFU/SAp, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)
  12. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
  13. Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States)

θ Cygni is an F3 spectral type magnitude V = 4.48 main-sequence star that was the brightest star observed by the original Kepler spacecraft mission. Short-cadence (58.8 s) photometric data using a custom aperture were first obtained during Quarter 6 (2010 June–September) and subsequently in Quarters 8 and 12–17. We present analyses of solar-like oscillations based on Q6 and Q8 data, identifying angular degree l = 0, 1, and 2 modes with frequencies of 1000–2700 μ Hz, a large frequency separation of 83.9 ± 0.4 μ Hz, and maximum oscillation amplitude at frequency ν {sub max} = 1829 ± 54 μ Hz. We also present analyses of new ground-based spectroscopic observations, which, combined with interferometric angular diameter measurements, give T {sub eff} = 6697 ± 78 K, radius 1.49 ± 0.03 R {sub ⊙}, [Fe/H] = -0.02 ± 0.06 dex, and log g = 4.23 ± 0.03. We calculate stellar models matching these constraints using the Yale Rotating Evolution Code and the Asteroseismic Modeling Portal. The best-fit models have masses of 1.35–1.39 M {sub ⊙} and ages of 1.0–1.6 Gyr. θ Cyg’s T {sub eff} and log g place it cooler than the red edge of the γ Doradus instability region established from pre- Kepler ground-based observations, but just at the red edge derived from pulsation modeling. The pulsation models show γ Dor gravity modes driven by the convective blocking mechanism, with frequencies of 1–3 cycles per day (11 to 33 μ Hz). However, gravity modes were not seen in Kepler data; one signal at 1.776 cycles per day (20.56 μ Hz) may be attributable to a faint, possibly background, binary.

OSTI ID:
22667288
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 831, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Cited By (9)

Asteroseismology of solar-type stars journal September 2019
Asteroseismology of main-sequence F stars with Kepler : overcoming short mode lifetimes journal February 2019
The Kepler Smear Campaign: Light Curves for 102 Very Bright Stars journal September 2019
The K 2 Bright Star Survey. I. Methodology and Data Release journal November 2019
Aldebaran b’s Temperate Past Uncovered in Planet Search Data journal September 2018
Asteroseismology of main-sequence F stars with \textit{Kepler}: overcoming short mode lifetimes text January 2019
The Kepler Smear Campaign: Light curves for 102 Very Bright Stars text January 2019
Asteroseismology of solar-type stars text January 2019
The K2 Bright Star Survey I: Methodology and Data Release text January 2019