Seismology Research at NMSU

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seismology_overview [2024/07/15 22:39] – [Asteroseismology] jasonjseismology_overview [2024/08/02 19:32] (current) – [Helioseismology] jasonj
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-[{{:wiki:science:sun-meridional-zhao.jpg?nolink&200 |The possible structure of the meridional flows in the Sun's convection zone. Such a configuration is a puzzle for those who try to determine how the Sun generates its magnetic fields.}}]+[{{:wiki:science:sun-meridional-zhao.jpg?direct&250 |The possible structure of the meridional flows in the Sun's convection zone. Such a configuration is a puzzle for those who try to determine how the Sun generates its magnetic fields. }}]
  
  
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 We focus on stars that pulsate like our Sun in what follows, both for simplicity and because the interpretation of the data is much more advanced than for other types of pulsators. Such solar-like oscillators need not be solar-type, main-sequence stars at all; for example, almost all red giants, such as the bright Aldebaran {[farr2018]}, display solar-like oscillations. They are the result of acoustic pressure waves that are excited to small, yet observable amplitudes by near-surface turbulent convection {[goldreich1977]}.  These stars, therefore,  must have an outer convection zone, with effective (surface) temperature below about 7000K, corresponding to an upper mass of about 1.5 solar masses on the main sequence and spectral types later than mid-F. For evolved  subgiants and giants, G, K, and M stars are most typical (and masses can exceed 1.5 solar masses). We focus on stars that pulsate like our Sun in what follows, both for simplicity and because the interpretation of the data is much more advanced than for other types of pulsators. Such solar-like oscillators need not be solar-type, main-sequence stars at all; for example, almost all red giants, such as the bright Aldebaran {[farr2018]}, display solar-like oscillations. They are the result of acoustic pressure waves that are excited to small, yet observable amplitudes by near-surface turbulent convection {[goldreich1977]}.  These stars, therefore,  must have an outer convection zone, with effective (surface) temperature below about 7000K, corresponding to an upper mass of about 1.5 solar masses on the main sequence and spectral types later than mid-F. For evolved  subgiants and giants, G, K, and M stars are most typical (and masses can exceed 1.5 solar masses).
  
-{{ :wiki:science:anim.gif?nolink&200|}}+{{ :wiki:science:anim.gif?direct|}}
  
 The oscillations are global modes in a star, which distort the stellar surface with a spatial pattern that can usually be described by spherical harmonics, resulting in luminosity and radial-velocity variations. The figure shows 4 examples, where the red and blue denote the (highly exaggerated) distortion of the particular part of the surface, and white are nodes (no distortion). Cancellation effects due to the point-source nature of distant stars only allow for observations of the lowest spherical harmonic degrees (L=0 - 3). In the figure, the top 2 animations are for L=1 and L=3, which would be observable. The other two (L=6 and L=10, would not be). Power spectra of a time series of a solar-like oscillator show a comb-like structure of peaks within a broad acoustic mode envelope that has a maximum amplitude at some temporal frequency. This can range from about 20 μHz (half a day period) for evolved giants to a few thousand μHz (periods of minutes) for dwarfs.  The comb pattern has peaks that are evenly spaced in frequency, whereby frequency differences between modes of consecutive radial order n and the same spherical degree L are known as the large frequency spacing.   The oscillations are global modes in a star, which distort the stellar surface with a spatial pattern that can usually be described by spherical harmonics, resulting in luminosity and radial-velocity variations. The figure shows 4 examples, where the red and blue denote the (highly exaggerated) distortion of the particular part of the surface, and white are nodes (no distortion). Cancellation effects due to the point-source nature of distant stars only allow for observations of the lowest spherical harmonic degrees (L=0 - 3). In the figure, the top 2 animations are for L=1 and L=3, which would be observable. The other two (L=6 and L=10, would not be). Power spectra of a time series of a solar-like oscillator show a comb-like structure of peaks within a broad acoustic mode envelope that has a maximum amplitude at some temporal frequency. This can range from about 20 μHz (half a day period) for evolved giants to a few thousand μHz (periods of minutes) for dwarfs.  The comb pattern has peaks that are evenly spaced in frequency, whereby frequency differences between modes of consecutive radial order n and the same spherical degree L are known as the large frequency spacing.  
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 Other types of modes provide even more powerful diagnostics of interior conditions. In subsurface convectively-stable regions of stars, such as the cores of red giants, low-frequency gravity modes are excited. While they are not visible at the surface, they can interact and `mix' with acoustic modes and impart new information in the power spectrum. New frequency spacings appear, which can be used as diganostics of the core region, capable of providing the evolutionary state or inferring the core rotation rate. Other types of modes provide even more powerful diagnostics of interior conditions. In subsurface convectively-stable regions of stars, such as the cores of red giants, low-frequency gravity modes are excited. While they are not visible at the surface, they can interact and `mix' with acoustic modes and impart new information in the power spectrum. New frequency spacings appear, which can be used as diganostics of the core region, capable of providing the evolutionary state or inferring the core rotation rate.
  
-All of the above may be considered as a broad application of asteroseismic analysis of global observables. SONG will go much further than applying the scaling relations. It will provide very precise individual mode frequencies for more modes than space photometry can, including mixed modes, L=3 modes, and modes split into multiplets by internal rotation.  In fact, the relative amplitudes of the frequency multiplets can be used to measure the inclination of the stellar rotation axis {[gizon2003]}. In any case, the measured frequencies can then be confronted with the frequencies predicted from sophisticated numerical models. The result is a deeper understanding of all of the interior stellar properties and evolutionary state of stars.  +All of the above may be considered as a broad application of asteroseismic analysis of global observables. Some high-precision observations, such as those from [[http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/song-wiki/start|SONG]], will go much further than applying the scaling relations. They can provide very precise individual mode frequencies for more modes than space photometry can, including mixed modes, L=3 modes, and modes split into multiplets by internal rotation.  In fact, the relative amplitudes of the frequency multiplets can be used to measure the inclination of the stellar rotation axis {[gizon2003]}. In any case, the measured frequencies can then be confronted with the frequencies predicted from sophisticated numerical models. The result is a deeper understanding of all of the interior stellar properties and evolutionary state of stars.  
  
 +==== Giant-Planet Seismology ====
  
 +A detailed discussion about this topic can be found on the [[jive_in_nm|JIVE]] page.
  
 ===== References ===== ===== References =====
seismology_overview.1721083181.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/07/15 22:39 by jasonj