Mélanie Godart

Theoretical amplitudes and lifetimes of non-radial solar-like oscillations in red giants

Context. Solar-like oscillations have been observed in numerous red giants from ground and from space. An important question arises: could we expect to detect non-radial modes probing the internal structure of these stars? Aims. We investigate under what physical circumstances non-radial modes could be observable in red giants; what would be their amplitudes, lifetimes and heights in the power spectrum (PS)? Methods. Using a non-radial non-adiabatic pulsation code including a non-local time-dependent treatment of convection, we compute the theoretical lifetimes of radial and non-radial modes in several red giant models. Next, using a stochastic excitation model, we compute the amplitudes of these modes and their heights in the PS. Results. Distinct cases appear. Case A corresponds to subgiants and stars at the bottom of the ascending giant branch. Our results show that the lifetimes of the modes are mainly proportional to the inertia I, which is modulated by the mode trapping. The predicted amplitudes are lower for non-radial modes. But the height of the peaks in the PS are of the same order for radial and non-radial modes as long as they can be resolved. The resulting frequency spectrum is complex. Case B corresponds to intermediate models in the red giant branch. In these models, the radiative damping becomes high enough to destroy the non-radial modes trapped in the core. Hence, only modes trapped in the envelope have significant heights in the PS and could be observed. The resulting frequency spectrum of detectable modes is regular for � = 0 and 2, but a little more complex for � = 1 modes because of less efficient trapping. Case C corresponds to models of even higher luminosity. In these models the radiative damping of non-radial modes is even larger than in the previous case and only radial and non-radial modes completely trapped in the envelope could be observed. The frequency pattern is very regular for these stars. The comparison between the predictions for radial and non-radial modes is very different if we consider the heights in the PS instead of the amplitudes. This is important as the heights (not the amplitudes) are used as detection criterion.

CLÉS, Code Liégeois d'Évolution Stellaire

Abstract CLÉS is an evolution code recently developed to produce stellar models meeting the specific requirements of studies in asteroseismology. It offers the users a lot of choices in the input physics they want in their models and its versatility allows them to tailor the code to their needs and implement easily new features. We describe the features implemented in the current version of the code and the techniques used to solve the equations of stellar structure and evolution. A brief account is given of the use of the program and of a solar calibration realized with it.

The Liège Oscillation code

Abstract The Liège Oscillation code can be used as a stand-alone program or as a library of subroutines that the user calls from a Fortran main program of his own to compute radial and nonradial adiabatic oscillations of stellar models. We describe the variables and the equations used by the program and the methods used to solve them. A brief account is given of the use and the output of the program.

Collective pulsational velocity broadening due to gravity modes as a physical explanation for macroturbulence in hot massive stars

Aims. We aimed at finding a physical explanation for the occurrence of macroturbulence in the atmospheres of hot massive stars, a phenomenon found in observations for more than a decade but that remains unexplained. Methods. We computed time series of line profiles for evolved massive stars broadened by rotation and by hundreds of low-amplitude nonradial gravity-mode pulsations which are predicted to be excited for evolved massive stars. Results. In general, line profiles based on macrotubulent broadening can mimic those subject to pulsational broadening. In several cases, though, good fits require macroturbulent velocities that pass the speed of sound for realistic pulsation amplitudes. Moreover, we find that the rotation velocity can be seriously underestimated by using a simple parameter description for macroturbulence rather than an appropriate pulsational model description to fit the line profiles. Conclusions. We conclude that macroturbulence is a likely signature of the collective effect of pulsations. We provide line diagnostics and their typical values to decide whether or not pulsational broadening is present in observed line profiles, as well as a procedure to avoid an inaccurate estimation of the rotation velocity.

Periodic Mass-loss episodes due to an oscillation mode with variable amplitude in the hot supergiant HD 50064

Aims. We aim to interpret the photometric and spectroscopic variability of the luminous blue variable supergiant HD 50064 ( V = 8.21). Methods. CoRoT space photometry and follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy with a time base of 137 d and 169 d, respectively, was gathered, analysed, and interpreted using standard time series analysis and light curve modelling methods, as well as spectral line diagnostics. Results. The space photometry reveals one period of 37 d, which undergoes a sudden amplitude change with a factor 1.6. The pulsation period is confirmed in the spectroscopy, which additionally reveals metal line radial velocity values differing by ∼30 km s ―1 depending on the spectral line and on the epoch. We estimate T eff ∼ 13 500 K, log g ∼ 1.5 from the equivalent width of Si lines. The Balmer lines reveal that the star undergoes episodes of changing mass loss on a time scale similar to the changes in the photometric and spectroscopic variability, with an average value of log M ≃ ―5 (in M ⊙ yr ―1 ). We tentatively interpret the 37 d period as the result of a strange mode oscillation.

Can mass loss and overshooting prevent the excitation of g-modes in blue supergiants?

Thanks to their past history on the main-sequence phase, supergiant massive stars develop a convective shell around the helium core. This intermediate convective zone (ICZ) plays an essential role in governing which g-modes are excited. Indeed, a strong radiative damping occurs in the high-density radiative core but the ICZ acts as a barrier preventing the propagation of some g-modes into the core. These g-modes can thus be excited in supergiant stars by the κ-mechanism in the superficial layers due to the opacity bump of iron, at log T = 5.2. However, massive stars are submitted to various complex phenomena such as rotation, magnetic fields, semiconvection, mass loss, overshooting. Each of these phenomena exerts a significant effect on the evolution and some of them could prevent the onset of the convective zone. We develop a numerical method which allows us to select the reflected, thus the potentially excited, modes only. We study different cases in order to show that mass loss and overshooting, in a large enough amount, reduce the extent of the ICZ and are unfavourable to the excitation of g-modes.

Variability in the CoRoT photometry of three hot O-type stars. HD 46223, HD 46150, and HD 46966

Context. The detection of pulsational frequencies in stellar photometry is required as input for asteroseismological modelling. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT mission has provided photometric data of unprecedented quality and time-coverage for a number of O-type stars. Aims. We analyse the CoRoT data corresponding to three hot O-type stars, describing the properties of their light curves and we search for pulsational frequencies, which we then compare to theoretical model predictions. Methods. We determine the amplitude spectrum of the data, using the Lomb-Scargle and a multifrequency HMM-like technique. Frequencies are extracted by prewhitening, and their significance is evaluated under the assumption that the light curve is dominated by red noise. We search for harmonics, linear combinations and regular spacings among these frequencies. We use simulations with the same time sampling as the data as a powerful tool to judge the significance of our results. From the theoretical point of view, we use the MAD non-adiabatic pulsation code to determine the expected frequencies of excited modes. Results. A substantial number of frequencies is listed, but none can be convincingly identified as being connected to pulsations. The amplitude spectrum is dominated by red noise. Theoretical modelling shows that all three O-type stars can have excited modes but the relation between the theoretical frequencies and the observed spectrum is not obvious. Conclusions. The dominant red noise component in the hot O-type stars studied here clearly points to a di erent origin than the pulsations seen in cooler O stars. The physical cause of this red noise is unclear, but we speculate on the possibility of sub-surface convection, granulation, or stellar wind inhomogeneities being responsible.

Plaskett’s star: analysis of the CoRoT photometric data

Context. The second short run (SRa02) of the CoRoT space mission for asteroseismology was partly devoted to stars belonging to the Mon OB2 association. An intense monitoring has been performed on Plaskett’s star (HD 47129) and the unprecedented quality of the light curve allows us to shed new light on this very massive, non-eclipsing binary system. Aims. We particularly aimed at detecting periodic variability that might be associated with pulsations or interactions between both components. We also searched for variations related to the orbital cycle that could help to constrain the inclination and the morphology of the binary system. Methods. We applied an iterative Fourier-based prewhitening and a multiperiodic fitting procedure to analyse the time series and extract the frequencies of variations from the CoRoT light curve. We describe the noise properties to tentatively define an appropriate significance criterion and, in consequence, to only point out the peaks at a certain significance level. We also detect the variations related to the orbital motion and study them with the NIGHTFALL programme. Results. The periodogram computed from Plaskett’s star CoRoT light curve mainly exhibits a majority of peaks at low frequencies. Among these peaks, we highlight a list of 43 values, notably including two different sets of harmonic frequencies whose fundamental peaks are located at about 0.07 and 0.82 d −1 . The former represents the orbital frequency of the binary system, whilst the latter could probably be associated with non-radial pulsations. The study of the 0.07 d −1 variations reveals a hot spot most probably situated on the primary star and facing the secondary. Conclusions. The investigation of this unique dataset constitutes a further step in the understanding of Plaskett’s star. These results provide a first basis for future seismic modelling and put forward the probable existence of non-radial pulsations in Plaskett’s star. Moreover, the fit of the orbital variations confirms the problem of the distance of this system which was already mentioned in previous works. A hot region between both components renders the determination of the inclination ambiguous.

The IACOB project - III. New observational clues to understand macroturbulent broadening in massive O- and B-type stars

Context. The term macroturbulent broadening is commonly used to refer to a certain type of non-rotational broadening affecting the spectral line profiles of O- and B-type stars. It has been proposed to be a spectroscopic signature of the presence of stellar oscillations;however, we still lack a definitive confirmation of this hypothesis. Aims. We aim to provide new empirical clues about macroturbulent spectral line broadening in O- and B-type stars to evaluate its physical origin. Methods. We used high-resolution spectra of 430 stars with spectral types in the range O4 - B9 (all luminosity classes) compiled in the framework of the IACOB project. We characterized the line broadening of adequate diagnostic metal lines using a combined Fourier transform and goodness-of-fit technique. We performed a quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the whole sample using automatic tools coupled with a huge grid of fast wind models to determine their effective temperatures and gravities. We also incorporated quantitative information about line asymmetries into our observational description of the characteristics of the line profiles, and performed a comparison of the shape and type of line-profile variability found in a small sample of O stars and B supergiants with still undefined pulsational properties and B main-sequence stars with variable line profiles owing to a well-identified type of stellar oscillations or to the presence of spots in the stellar surface. Results. We present a homogeneous and statistically significant overview of the (single snapshot) line-broadening properties of stars in the whole O and B star domain. We find empirical evidence of the existence of various types of non-rotational broadening agents acting in the realm of massive stars. Even though all these additional sources of line-broadening could be quoted and quantified as a macroturbulent broadening from a practical point of view, their physical origin can be different. Contrarily to the early-to late-B dwarfs and giants, which present a mixture of cases in terms of line-profile shape and variability, the whole O- type and B supergiant domain (or, roughly speaking, stars with M-ZAMS greater than or similar to 15 M-circle dot) is fully dominated by stars with a remarkable non-rotational broadening component and very similar profiles (including type of variability). We provide some examples illustrating how this observational dataset can be used to evaluate scenarios aimed at explaining the existence of sources of non-rotational broadening in massive stars.

The IACOB project. IV. New predictions for high-degree non-radial mode instability domains in massive stars and their connection with macroturbulent broadening

Context. Asteroseismology is a powerful tool to access the internal structure of stars. Apart from the important impact of theoretical developments, progress in this field has been commonly associated with the analysis of time-resolved observations. Recently, the so-called macroturbulent broadening has been proposed as a complementary and less expensive way – in terms of observational time – to investigate pulsations in massive stars. Aims. We assess to what extent this ubiquitous non-rotational broadening component which shapes the line profiles of O stars and B supergiants is a spectroscopic signature of pulsation modes driven by a heat mechanism. Methods. We compute stellar main-sequence and post-main-sequence models from 3 to 70 M with the ATON stellar evolution code, and determine the instability domains for heat-driven modes for degrees `= 1–20 using the adiabatic and non-adiabatic codes LOSC and MAD. We use the observational material compiled in the framework of the IACOB project to investigate possible correlations between the single snapshot line-broadening properties of a sample of ≈260 O and B-type stars and their location inside or outside the various predicted instability domains. Results. We present an homogeneous prediction for the non-radial instability domains of massive stars for degree ` up to 20. We provide a global picture of what to expect from an observational point of view in terms of the frequency range of excited modes, and we investigate the behavior of the instabilities with respect to stellar evolution and the degree of the mode. Furthermore, our pulsational stability analysis, once compared to the empirical results, indicates that stellar oscillations originated by a heat mechanism cannot explain alone the occurrence of the large non-rotational line-broadening component commonly detected in the O star and B supergiant domain.