Doug Caldwell

The K2 Mission: Characterization and Early Results

The K2 mission will make use of the Kepler spacecraft and its assets to expand upon Keplers groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of exoplanets and astrophysics through new and exciting observations. K2 will use an innovative way of operating the spacecraft to observe target fields along the ecliptic for the next 2-3 years. Early science commissioning observations have shown an estimated photometric precision near 400 ppm in a single 30 minute observation, and a 6-hr photometric precision of 80 ppm (both at V = 12). The K2 mission offers long-term, simultaneous optical observation of thousands of objects at a precision far better than is achievable from ground-based telescopes. Ecliptic fields will be observed for approximately 75 days enabling a unique exoplanet survey which fills the gaps in duration and sensitivity between the Kepler and TESS missions, and offers pre-launch exoplanet target identification for JWST transit spectroscopy. Astrophysics observations with K2 will include studies of young open clusters, bright stars, galaxies, supernovae, and asteroseismology.

Photometric Variability in Kepler Target Stars. II. An Overview of Amplitude, Periodicity, and Rotation in First Quarter Data

We provide an overview of stellar variability in the first quarter data from the Kepler mission. The intent of this paper is to examine the entire sample of over 150,000 target stars for periodic behavior in their light curves and relate this to stellar characteristics. This data set constitutes an unprecedented study of stellar variability given its great precision and complete time coverage (with a half hour cadence). Because the full Kepler pipeline is not currently suitable for a study of stellar variability of this sort, we describe our procedures for treating the raw pipeline data. About half of the total sample exhibits convincing periodic variability up to two weeks, with amplitudes ranging from differential intensity changes of less than 10?4 up to more than 10%. K and M dwarfs have a greater fraction of period behavior than G dwarfs. The giants in the sample have distinctive quasi-periodic behavior, but are not periodic in the way we define it. Not all periodicities are due to rotation, and the most significant period is not necessarily the rotation period. We discuss properties of the light curves, and in particular look at a sample of very clearly periodic G dwarfs. It is clear that a large number of them do vary because of rotation and starspots, but it will take further analysis to fully exploit this.

WHITE-LIGHT FLARES ON COOL STARS IN THE KEPLER QUARTER 1 DATA

We present the results of a search for white-light flares on ~23,000 cool dwarfs in the Kepler Quarter 1 long cadence data. We have identified 373 flaring stars, some of which flare multiple times during the observation period. We calculate relative flare energies, flare rates, and durations and compare these with the quiescent photometric variability of our sample. We find that M dwarfs tend to flare more frequently but for shorter durations than K dwarfs and that they emit more energy relative to their quiescent luminosity in a given flare than K dwarfs. Stars that are more photometrically variable in quiescence tend to emit relatively more energy during flares, but variability is only weakly correlated with flare frequency. We estimate distances for our sample of flare stars and find that the flaring fraction agrees well with other observations of flare statistics for stars within 300 pc above the Galactic plane. These observations provide a more rounded view of stellar flares by sampling stars that have not been pre-selected by their activity, and are informative for understanding the influence of these flares on planetary habitability.

PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY IN KEPLER TARGET STARS: THE SUN AMONG STARS—A FIRST LOOK

The Kepler mission provides an exciting opportunity to study the light curves of stars with unprecedented precision and continuity of coverage. This is the first look at a large sample of stars with photometric data of a quality that has heretofore been only available for our Sun. It provides the first opportunity to compare the irradiance variations of our Sun to a large cohort of stars ranging from very similar to rather different stellar properties, at a wide variety of ages. Although Kepler data are in an early phase of maturity, and we only analyze the first month of coverage, it is sufficient to garner the first meaningful measurements of our Suns variability in the context of a large cohort of main-sequence stars in the solar neighborhood. We find that nearly half of the full sample is more active than the active Sun, although most of them are not more than twice as active. The active fraction is closer to a third for the stars most similar to the Sun, and rises to well more than half for stars cooler than mid-K spectral types.

Atmospheric parameters of 82 red giants in the Kepler field

Context. Accurate fundamental parameters of stars are essential for the asteroseismic analysis of data from the NASA Kepler mission. Aims. We aim at determining accurate atmospheric parameters and the abundance pattern for a sample of 82 red giants that are targets for the Kepler mission. Methods. We have used high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra from three different spectrographs. We used the iterative spectral synthesis method VWA to derive the fundamental parameters from carefully selected high-quality iron lines. After determination of the fundamental parameters, abundances of 13 elements were measured using equivalent widths of the spectral lines. Results. We identify discrepancies in log g and [Fe/H], compared to the parameters based on photometric indices in the Kepler Input Catalogue (larger than 2.0 dex for log g and [Fe/H] for individual stars). The Teff found from spectroscopy and photometry shows good agreement within the uncertainties. We find good agreement between the spectroscopic log g and the log g derived from asteroseismology. Also, we see indications of a potential metallicity effect on the stellar oscillations. Conclusions. We have determined the fundamental parameters and element abundances of 82 red giants. The large discrepancies between the spectroscopic log g and [Fe/H] and values in the Kepler Input Catalogue emphasize the need for further detailed spectroscopic follow-up of the Kepler targets in order to produce reliable results from the asteroseismic analysis.

HYDROCARBONS, ICES, AND '' XCN '' IN THE LINE OF SIGHT TOWARD THE GALACTIC CENTER

We discuss 2.8–3.9 lm spectra from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope of seven sight lines toward IR sources near Sagittarius A* in the Galactic center (GC). In all lines of sight, the 3.0 l mH 2O ice feature is present with optical depths in the range 0.33–1.52. By constructing a simple ice model, we show that the ice profile is not fully accounted for by pure H2O ice mantles. Residual absorption is present at 2.95 and 3.2–3.6 lm. Aliphatic hydrocarbon absorption at 3.4 lm is shown to vary by a factor of 1.7, indicating significant changes in the foreground extinction across the small field. By determining the true ice profile for the GC line of sight, we reveal an additional broad absorption component around � 3.3 lm, which partially underlies the 3.4 lm aliphatic hydrocarbon feature. Its carrier resides in the diffuse interstellar medium. The width of this absorption is deduced to be at least � 100 cm � 1 , much broader than individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules produced in the laboratory or unidentified infrared emission features observed in the interstellar medium. The 4.62 lm ‘‘ XCN ’’ feature is detected in the molecular clouds along the line of sight toward IRS 19. In the solar neighborhood, this feature is seen only toward some deeply embedded protostars. Toward the GC, it may indicate the serendipitous presence of such an object in the line of sight to IRS 19, or it might conceivably arise from the processing of ices in the circumnuclear ring of the GC itself. Subject headings: dust, extinction — Galaxy: center — infrared: ISM: lines and bands — infrared: stars — ISM: molecules

Constructing a One-solar-mass Evolutionary Sequence Using Asteroseismic Data from Kepler

Asteroseismology of solar-type stars has entered a new era of large surveys with the success of the NASA Kepler mission, which is providing exquisite data on oscillations of stars across the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. From the time-series photometry, the two seismic parameters that can be most readily extracted are the large frequency separation (Δν) and the frequency of maximum oscillation power (νmax). After the survey phase, these quantities are available for hundreds of solar-type stars. By scaling from solar values, we use these two asteroseismic observables to identify for the first time an evolutionary sequence of 1 M ☉ field stars, without the need for further information from stellar models. Comparison of our determinations with the few available spectroscopic results shows an excellent level of agreement. We discuss the potential of the method for differential analysis throughout the main-sequence evolution and the possibility of detecting twins of very well-known stars.

Observations of intensity fluctuations attributed to granulation and faculae on Sun-like stars from the Kepler mission

Sun-like stars show intensity fluctuations on a number of timescales due to various physical phenomena on their surfaces. These phenomena can convincingly be studied in the frequency spectra of these stars—while the strongest signatures usually originate from spots, granulation, and p-mode oscillations, it has also been suggested that the frequency spectrum of the Sun contains a signature of faculae. We have analyzed three stars observed for 13 months in short cadence (58.84 s sampling) by the Kepler mission. The frequency spectra of all three stars, as for the Sun, contain signatures that we can attribute to granulation, faculae, and p-mode oscillations. The temporal variability of the signatures attributed to granulation, faculae, and p-mode oscillations was analyzed and the analysis indicates a periodic variability in the granulation and faculae signatures—comparable to what is seen in the Sun.

Kepler Science Operations Center architecture

We give an overview of the operational concepts and architecture of the Kepler Science Processing Pipeline. Designed, developed, operated, and maintained by the Kepler Science Operations Center (SOC) at NASA Ames Research Center, the Science Processing Pipeline is a central element of the Kepler Ground Data System. The SOC consists of an office at Ames Research Center, software development and operations departments, and a data center which hosts the computers required to perform data analysis. The SOCs charter is to analyze stellar photometric data from the Kepler spacecraft and report results to the Kepler Science Office for further analysis. We describe how this is accomplished via the Kepler Science Processing Pipeline, including the hardware infrastructure, scientific algorithms, and operational procedures. We present the high-performance, parallel computing software modules of the pipeline that perform transit photometry, pixel-level calibration, systematic error correction, attitude determination, stellar target management, and instrument characterization. We show how data processing environments are divided to support operational processing and test needs. We explain the operational timelines for data processing and the data constructs that flow into the Kepler Science Processing Pipeline.