Kepler observations of the variability in B-type stars

Balona LA, Pigulski A, De Cat P, Handler G, Gutierrez-Soto J, Engelbrecht CA, Frescura F, Briquet M, Cuypers J, Daszynska-Daszkiewicz J, Degroote P, Dukes RJ, Garcia RA, Green EM, Heber U, Kawaler SD, Lehmann H, Leroy B, Molenda-Zakowicz J, Neiner C, Noels A, Nuspl J, Ostensen R, Pricopi D, Roxburgh I, Salmon S, Smith MA, Suarez JC, Suran M, Szabo R, Uytterhoeven K, Christensen-Dalsgaard , Kjeldsen H, Caldwell DA, Girouard FR, Sanderfer DT (2011)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2011

Journal

Book Volume: 413

Pages Range: 2403-2420

Journal Issue: 4

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18311.x

Abstract

The analysis of the light curves of 48 B-type stars observed by Kepler is presented. Among these are 15 pulsating stars, all of which show low frequencies, characteristic of slowly pulsating B (SPB) stars. Seven of these stars also show a few weak, isolated high frequencies and they could be considered as SPB/β Cephei (β Cep) hybrids. In all cases, the frequency spectra are quite different from what is seen from ground-based observations. We suggest that this is because most of the low frequencies are modes of high degree which are predicted to be unstable in models of mid-B stars. We find that there are non-pulsating stars within the β Cep and SPB instability strips. Apart from the pulsating stars, we can identify stars with frequency groupings similar to what is seen in Be stars but which are not Be stars. The origin of the groupings is not clear, but may be related to rotation. We find periodic variations in other stars which we attribute to proximity effects in binary systems or possibly rotational modulation. We find no evidence for pulsating stars between the cool edge of the SPB and the hot edge of the δ Sct instability strips. None of the stars shows the broad features which can be attributed to stochastically excited modes as recently proposed. Among our sample of B stars are two chemically peculiar stars, one of which is a HgMn star showing rotational modulation in the light curve. © 2011 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2011 RAS.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) South Africa (ZA) University of Wroclaw / Uniwersytet Wrocławski Poland (PL) Royal Observatory of Belgium / Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van België / Observatoire royal de Belgique Belgium (BE) Medizinische Universität Wien Austria (AT) Spanish National Research Council / Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Spain (ES) University of Johannesburg South Africa (ZA) University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) South Africa (ZA) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven Belgium (BE) College of Charleston (CofC) United States (USA) (US) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) University of Arizona United States (USA) (US) Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) United States (USA) (US) Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS) - Karl-Schwarzschild-Observatorium Germany (DE) University of Liège (ULg) / Université de Liège Belgium (BE) Queen Mary, University of London United Kingdom (GB) Romanian Academy / Academia Română Romania (RO) Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) United States (USA) (US) Hungarian Academy of Sciences / Magyar Tudományos Akadémia (MTA) Hungary (HU) Aarhus University Denmark (DK) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Balona, L.A., Pigulski, A., De Cat, P., Handler, G., Gutierrez-Soto, J., Engelbrecht, C.A.,... Sanderfer, D.T. (2011). Kepler observations of the variability in B-type stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 413(4), 2403-2420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18311.x

MLA:

Balona, L. A., et al. "Kepler observations of the variability in B-type stars." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 413.4 (2011): 2403-2420.

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