Kepler Detected Gravity-Mode Period Spacings in a Red Giant Star

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1201939
• Publication Date: 2011-03-18T04:04:57Z
• Authors: P. G. Beck; T. R. Bedding; B. Mosser; D. Stello; R. A. Garcia; T. Kallinger; S. Hekker; Y. Elsworth; S. Frandsen; F. Carrier; J. De Ridder; C. Aerts; T. R. White; D. Huber; M.-A. Dupret; J. Montalbán; A. Miglio; A. Noels; W. J. Chaplin; H. Kjeldsen; J. Christensen-Da...; R. L. Gilliland; T. M. Brown; S. D. Kawaler; S. Mathur; J. M. Jenkins
• Keywords: [PHYS.ASTR.SR] Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR]; Astronomy; 0103 physical sciences; -; 103004 Astrophysics; 103004 Astrophysik; [PHYS.ASTR] Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]; [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]; [PHYS.ASTR.SR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR]; 530; 01 natural sciences

Asteroseismology Delivers

Using asteroseismology—the study of stellar oscillations, it is possible to probe the interior of stars and to derive stellar parameters, such as mass and radius (see the Perspective by

Montgomery

). Based on asteroseismic data from the NASA Kepler mission,

Chaplin et al.

(p. 213 ) detected solarlike oscillations in 500 solartype stars in our Galaxy. The distribution of the radii of these stars matches that expected from stellar evolution theory, but the distribution in mass does not, which challenges our knowledge of star formation rates, the mass of forming stars, and the models of the stars themselves.

Derekas et al.

(p. 216 ) report the detection of a triple-star system comprising a red giant star and two red dwarfs. The red giant star, instead of the expected solarlike oscillations, shows evidence for tidally induced oscillations driven by the orbital motion of the red dwarf pair. Finally,

Beck et al.

(p. 205 ) describe unusual oscillations from a red giant star that may elucidate characteristics of its core.