Thierry Toutain

CoRoT measures solar-like oscillations and granulation in stars hotter than the Sun.

Oscillations of the Sun have been used to understand its interior structure. The extension of similar studies to more distant stars has raised many difficulties despite the strong efforts of the international community over the past decades. The CoRoT (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits) satellite, launched in December 2006, has now measured oscillations and the stellar granulation signature in three main sequence stars that are noticeably hotter than the sun. The oscillation amplitudes are about 1.5 times as large as those in the Sun; the stellar granulation is up to three times as high. The stellar amplitudes are about 25% below the theoretic values, providing a measurement of the nonadiabaticity of the process ruling the oscillations in the outer layers of the stars.

CoRoT sounds the stars: p-mode parameters of Sun-like oscillations on HD 49933

Context. The first asteroseismology results from CoRoT are presented, on a star showing Sun-like oscillations. We have analyzed a 60 day lightcurve of high-quality photometric data collected by CoRoT on the F5 V star HD 49933. The data reveal a rich spectrum of overtones of low-degree p modes. Aims. Our aim was to extract robust estimates of the key parameters of the p modes observed in the power spectrum of the lightcurve. Methods. Estimation of the mode parameters was performed using maximum likelihood estimation of the power spectrum. A global fitting strategy was adopted whereby 15 mode orders of the mode spectrum (45 modes) were fitted simultaneously. Results. The parameter estimates that we list include mode frequencies, peak linewidths, mode amplitudes, and a mean rotational frequency splitting. We find that the average large frequency (overtone) spacing derived from the fitted mode frequencies is 85.9 ± 0.15 μHz. The frequency of maximum amplitude of the radial modes is at 1760 μHz, where the observed rms mode amplitude is 3.75 ± 0.23 ppm. The mean rotational splitting of the non-radial modes appears to be in the range ≈2.7 μHz to ≈3.4 μHz. The angle of inclination offered by the star, as determined by fits to the amplitude ratios of the modes, appears to be in the range ≈50 degrees to ≈62 degrees.

Virgo: Experiment for Helioseismology and Solar Irradiance Monitoring

The scientific objective of the VIRGO experiment (Variability of solar IRradiance and Gravity Oscillations) is to determine the characteristics of pressure and internal gravity oscillations by observing irradiance and radiance variations, to measure the solar total and spectral irradiance and to quantify their variability over periods of days to the duration of the mission. With these data helioseismological methods can be used to probe the solar interior. Certain characteristics of convection and its interaction with magnetic fields, related to, for example, activity, will be studied from the results of the irradiance monitoring and from the comparison of amplitudes and phases of the oscillations as manifest in brightness from VIRGO, in velocity from GOLF, and in both velocity and continuum intensity from SOI/MDI. The VIRGO experiment contains two different active-cavity radiometers for monitoring the solar ‘constant‘, two three-channel sunphotometers (SPM) for the measurement of the spectral irradiance at 402, 500 and 862 nm, and a low-resolution imager (LOI) with 12 pixels, for the measurement of the radiance distribution over the solar disk at 500 nm. In this paper the scientific objectives of VIRGO are presented, the instruments and the data acquisition and control system are described in detail, and their measured performance is given.

Radius Determination of Solar-type Stars Using Asteroseismology: What to Expect from the Kepler Mission

For distant stars, as observed by the NASA Kepler satellite, parallax information is currently of fairly low quality and is not complete. This limits the precision with which the absolute sizes of the stars and their potential transiting planets can be determined by traditional methods. Asteroseismology will be used to aid the radius determination of stars observed during NASA’s Kepler mission. We report on the recent asteroFLAG hare-and-hounds Exercise#2, where a group of “hares” simulated data of F–K main-sequence stars that a group of “hounds” sought to analyze, aimed at determining the stellar radii. We investigated stars in the range 9 <V <15, both with and without parallaxes. We further test different uncertainties in Teff, and compare results with and without using asteroseismic constraints. Based on the asteroseismic large frequency spacing, obtained from simulations of 4 yr time series data from the Kepler mission, we demonstrate that the stellar radii can be correctly and precisely determined, when combined with traditional stellar parameters from the Kepler Input Catalogue. The radii found by the various methods used by each independent hound generally agree with the true values of the artificial stars to within 3%, when the large frequency spacing is used. This is 5–10 times better than the results where seismology is not applied. These results give strong confidence that radius estimation can be performed to better than 3% for solar-like stars using automatic pipeline reduction. Even when the stellar distance and luminosity are unknown we can obtain the same level of agreement. Given the uncertainties used for this exercise we find that the input log g and parallax do not help to constrain the radius, and that Teff and metallicity are the only parameters we need in addition to the large frequency spacing. It is the uncertainty in the metallicity that dominates the uncertainty in the radius.

Solar-like oscillations with low amplitude in the CoRoT target HD 181906

Context. The F8 star HD 181906 (effective temperature ∼6300 K) was observed for 156 days by the CoRoT satellite during the first long run in the direction of the galactic centre. Analysis of the data reveals a spectrum of solar-like acoustic oscillations. However, the faintness of the target (mv = 7.65) means the signal-to-noise (S/N) in the acoustic modes is quite low, and this low S/N leads to complications in the analysis. Aims. We extract global variables of the star, as well as key parameters of the p modes observed in the power spectrum of the lightcurve. Methods. The power spectrum of the lightcurve, a wavelet transform and spot fitting were used to obtain the average rotation rate of the star and its inclination angle. Then, the autocorrelation of the power spectrum and the power spectrum of the power spectrum were used to properly determine the large separation. Finally, estimations of the mode parameters were done by maximizing the likelihood of a global fit, where several modes were fit simultaneously. Results. We have been able to infer the mean surface rotation rate of the star (∼4 μHz) with indications of the presence of surface differential rotation, the large separation of the p modes (∼87 μHz), hence also the “ridges” corresponding to overtones of the acoustic modes.

Challenges for asteroseismic analysis of Sun-like stars

Context. Asteroseismology of Sun-like stars is undergoing rapid expansion with, for example, new data from the CoRoT mission and continuation of ground-based campaigns. There is also the exciting upcoming prospect of NASAs Kepler mission, which will allow the asteroseismic study of several hundred Sun-like targets, in some cases for periods lasting up to a few years. Aims. The seismic mode parameters are the input data needed for making inference on stars and their internal structures. In this paper we discuss the ease with which it will be possible to extract estimates of individual mode parameters, dependent on the mass, age, and visual brightness of the star. Our results are generally applicable; however, we look at mode detectability in the context of the upcoming Kepler observations. Methods. To inform our discussions we make predictions of various seismic parameters. To do this we use simple empirical scaling relations and detailed pulsation computations of the stochastic excitation and damping characteristics of the Sun-like p modes. Results. The issues related to parameter extraction on individual p modes discussed here are mode detectability, the detectability and impact of stellar activity cycles, and the ability to measure properties of rotationally split components, which is dependent on the relative importance of the rotational characteristics of the star and the damping of the stochastically excited p modes.

Asymmetry and Frequencies of Low-Degree p-Modes and the Structure of the Sun's Core

An accurate determination of the frequencies of low-degree solar p-modes is an important task of helioseismology. Using 679 days of solar oscillation data observed in Doppler velocity and continuum intensity from two Solar and Heliospheric Observatory instruments (the Michelson Doppler Imager and the SunPhotoMeter), we show that fitting the spectra with Lorentzian profiles leads to systematic differences between intensity and velocity frequencies as large as 0.1 μHz for angular degrees l=0, 1, and 2 because of the opposite asymmetry between intensity and velocity. We use a physics-based asymmetrical line shape to fit p-mode lines, and we demonstrate that their asymmetry is statistically significant and that frequency differences are considerably reduced. These measurements provide more accurate estimates of the solar eigenfrequencies. We discuss inferences of the structure of the solar core.

On the variation of the peak asymmetry of low-ł solar p modes

The resonant peaks of solar p modes show small amounts of asymmetry in frequency. Here, we use five independent sets of contemporaneous data, collected over a 8 yr period, to investigate whether peak asymmetry in low angular degree p modes changes over the solar activity cycle. Three of the data sets are from instruments on board the ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft (GOLF, MDI, and VIRGO/SPM); and two are from ground-based networks (BiSON and GONG). Evidence for variation in asymmetry, well correlated with the activity cycle, is uncovered in the GOLF and BiSON Doppler velocity data. Suggestions of a similar trend are present in the GONG Doppler velocity data. Apparent changes in the MDI Doppler velocity data are somewhat less significant. Meanwhile, analysis of the SPM intensity data failed to uncover any evidence for significant change of the asymmetry parameter.

FIRST RESULTS FROM VIRGO, THE EXPERIMENT FOR HELIOSEISMOLOGY AND SOLAR IRRADIANCE MONITORING ON SOHO

First results from the VIRGO experiment (Variability of solar IRradiance and Gravity Oscillations) on the ESA/NASA Mission SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) are reported. The observations started mid-January 1996 for the radiometers and sunphotometers and near the end of March for the luminosity oscillation imager. The performance of all the instruments is very good, and the time series of the first 4 - 6 months are evaluated in terms of solar irradiance variability, solar background noise characteristics and -mode oscillations. The solar irradiance is modulated by the passage of active regions across the disk, but not all of the modulation is straightforwardly explained in terms of sunspot flux blocking and facular enhancement. Helioseismic inversions of the observed -mode frequencies are more-or-less in agreement with the latest standard solar models. The comparison of VIRGO results with earlier ones shows evidence that magnetic activity plays a significant role in the dynamics of the oscillations beyond its modulation of the resonant frequencies. Moreover, by comparing the amplitudes of different components of -mode multiplets, each of which are influenced differently by spatial inhomogeneity, we have found that activity enhances excitation.

On deriving p-mode parameters for inclined solar-like stars

Context. Thanks to their high quality, new and upcoming asteroseismic observations ‐ with CoRoT, Kepler, and from the ground... ‐ can benefit from the experience gained with helioseismology . Aims. We focus in this paper on solar-like oscillations, for which the inclination of the rotation axis is unknown. We present a theoretical study of the errors of p-mode parameters determined by means of a maximum-likelihood estimator, and we also analyze correlations and biases. Methods. We have used different, complementary approaches: we have performed either semi-analytical computation of the Hessian matrix, fitting of single mean profiles, or Monte Carlo simula tions. Results. We give first analytical approximations for the errors of fre quency, inclination and rotational splitting. The determi nation of the inclination is very challenging for the common case of slow rotators (like the Sun), making diffi cult the determination of a reliable rotational splitting. Moreover, due to the numerous correl ations, biases ‐ more or less significant ‐ can appear in the de termination of various parameters in the case of bad inclination fittings, e specially when a locking at 90 ◦ occurs. This issue concerning inclination locking is also discussed. Nevertheless, the central frequ ency and some derived parameters such as the total power of the mode are free of such biases.