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We present an accurate analytic approximation for the energy of a quantum one-component Coulomb liquid of ions in a uniform electron background that has been recently calculated from first principles. The approximation enables us to develop in an analytic form a complete thermodynamic description of quantum ions in a practically important range of mass densities at temperatures above crystallization. We show that ionic quantum effects in liquid cores of white dwarfs (WDs) affect heat capacity, cooling, thermal compressibility, pulsation frequencies, and radii of sufficiently cold WDs, especially with relatively massive helium and carbon cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first asteroseismic results for δ Scuti and γ Doradus stars observed in Sectors 1 and 2 of the TESS mission. We utilize the 2-min cadence TESS data for a sample of 117 stars to classify their behaviour regarding variability and place them in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram using Gaia DR2 data. Included within our sample are the eponymous members of two pulsator classes, γ Doradus and SX Phoenicis. Our sample of pulsating intermediate-mass stars observed by TESS also allows us to confront theoretical models of pulsation driving in the classical instability strip for the first time and show that mixing processes in the outer envelope play an important role. We derive an empirical estimate of 74 per cent for the relative amplitude suppression factor as a result of the redder TESS passband compared to the Kepler mission using a pulsating eclipsing binary system. Furthermore, our sample contains many high-frequency pulsators, allowing us to probe the frequency variability of hot young δ Scuti stars, which were lacking in the Kepler mission data set, and identify promising targets for future asteroseismic modelling. The TESS data also allow us to refine the stellar parameters of SX Phoenicis, which is believed to be a blue straggler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar models utilizing 1D, heuristic theories of convection fail to adequately describe the energy transport in superadiabatic layers. The improper modelling leads to well-known discrepancies between observed and predicted oscillation frequencies for stars with convective envelopes. Recently, 3D hydrodynamic simulations of stellar envelopes have been shown to facilitate a realistic depiction of superadiabatic convection in 1D stellar models. The resulting structural changes of the boundary layers have been demonstrated to impact not only the predicted oscillation spectra but evolution tracks as well. In this paper, we quantify the consequences that the change in boundary conditions has for stellar parameter estimates of main-sequence stars. For this purpose, we investigate two benchmark stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, using Bayesian inference. We show that the improved treatment of turbulent convection makes the obtained 1D stellar structures nearly insensitive to the mixing length parameter. By using 3D simulations in 1D stellar models, we hence overcome the degeneracy between the mixing length parameter and other stellar parameters. By lifting this degeneracy, the inclusion of 3D simulations has the potential to yield more robust parameter estimates. In this way, a more realistic depiction of superadiabatic convection has important implications for any field that relies on stellar models, including the study of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy and exoplanet research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volume complete sky surveys provide evidence for a binary origin for the formation of isolated white dwarfs with magnetic fields in excess of a MegaGauss. Interestingly, not a single high-field magnetic white dwarf has been found in a detached system, suggesting that if the progenitors are indeed binaries, the companion must be removed or merge during formation. An origin scenario consistent with observations involves the engulfment, inspiral, and subsequent tidal disruption of a low-mass companion in the interior of a giant star during a common envelope phase. Material from the shredded companion forms a cold accretion disc embedded in the hot ambient around the proto-white dwarf. Entrainment of hot material may evaporate the disc before it can sufficiently amplify the magnetic field, which typically requires at least a few orbits of the disc. Using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of accretion discs with masses between 1 and 10 times the mass of Jupiter inside the core of an Asymptotic Giant Branch star, we find that the discs survive for at least 10 orbits (and likely for 100 orbits), sufficient for strong magnetic fields to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of stellar cores may be accomplished through the modelling of asteroseismic data from stars exhibiting either gravity-mode or mixed-mode pulsations, potentially shedding light on the physical processes responsible for the production, mixing, and segregation of chemical elements. In this work, we validate against model data an analytical expression for the period spacing that will facilitate the inference of the properties of stellar cores, including the detection and characterization of buoyancy glitches (strong chemical gradients). This asymptotically based analytical expression is tested both in models with and without buoyancy glitches. It does not assume that glitches are small and, consequently, predicts non-sinusoidal glitch-induced period-spacing variations, as often seen in model and real data. We show that the glitch position and width inferred from the fitting of the analytical expression to model data consisting of pure gravity modes are in close agreement (typically better than 7  |${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| relative difference) with the properties measured directly from the stellar models. In the case of fitting mixed-mode model data, the same expression is shown to reproduce well the numerical results, when the glitch properties are known a priori. In addition, the fits performed to mixed-mode model data reveal a frequency dependence of the coupling coefficient, q , for a moderate-luminosity red-giant-branch model star. Finally, we find that fitting the analytical expression to the mixed-mode period spacings may provide a way to infer the frequencies of the pure acoustic dipole modes that would exist if no coupling took place between acoustic and gravity waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present models of α Centauri A and B implementing an entropy calibration of the mixing-length parameter α MLT, recently developed and successfully applied to the Sun (Spada et al. 2018 , ApJ, 869, 135). In this technique the value of α MLT in the 1D stellar evolution code is calibrated to match the adiabatic specific entropy derived from 3D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of stellar convective envelopes, whose effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity are selected consistently along the evolutionary track. The customary treatment of convection in stellar evolution models relies on a constant, solar-calibrated α MLT. There is, however, mounting evidence that this procedure does not reproduce the observed radii of cool stars satisfactorily. For instance, modelling α Cen A and B requires an ad hoc tuning of α MLT to distinct, non-solar values. The entropy-calibrated models of α Cen A and B reproduce their observed radii within |$1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| (or better) without externally adjusted parameters. The fit is of comparable quality to that of models with freely adjusted α MLT for α Cen B (within 1σ), while it is less satisfactory for α Cen A (within 2.5σ). This level of accuracy is consistent with the intrinsic uncertainties of the method. Our results demonstrate the capability of the entropy calibration method to produce stellar models with radii accurate within |$1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠. This is especially relevant in characterizing exoplanet-host stars and their planetary systems accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The traditional approximation of rotation (TAR) is a treatment of the dynamical equations of rotating and stably stratified fluids in which the action of the Coriolis acceleration along the direction of the entropy (and chemicals) stratification is neglected, while assuming that the fluid motions are mostly horizontal because of their inhibition in the vertical direction by the buoyancy force. This leads to the neglect of the horizontal projection of the rotation vector in the equations for the dynamics of gravito-inertial waves (GIWs) that become separable, such as in the non-rotating case, while they are not separable in the case in which the full Coriolis acceleration is taken into account. This approximation, first introduced in geophysical fluid dynamics for thin atmospheres and oceans, has been broadly applied in stellar (and planetary) astrophysics to study low-frequency GIWs that have short vertical wavelengths. The appoximation is now being tested thanks to direct 2D oscillation codes, which constrain its domain of validity. The mathematical flexibility of this treatment allows us to explore broad parameter spaces and to perform detailed seismic modelling of stars. Aims. The TAR treatment is built on the assumptions that the star is spherical (i.e. its centrifugal deformation is neglected) and uniformly rotating while an adiabatic treatment of the dynamics of the waves is adopted. In addition, their induced gravitational potential fluctuations is neglected. However, it has been recently generalised with including the effects of a differential rotation. We aim to carry out a new generalisation that takes into account the centrifugal acceleration in the case of deformed stars that are moderately and uniformly rotating. Methods. We construct an analytical expansion of the equations for the dynamics of GIWs in a spheroidal coordinates system by assuming the hierarchies of frequencies and amplitudes of the velocity components adopted within TAR in the spherical case. Results. We derive the complete set of equations that generalises TAR by taking the centrifugal acceleration into account. As in the case of a differentially rotating spherical star, the problem becomes 2D but can be treated analytically if we assume the anelastic and JWKB approximations, which are relevant for low-frequency GIWs. This allows us to derive a generalised Laplace tidal equation for the horizontal eigenfunctions and asymptotic wave periods, which can be used to probe the structure and dynamics of rotating deformed stars thanks to asteroseismology. A first numerical exploration of its eigenvalues and horizontal eigenfunctions shows their variation as a function of the pseudo-radius for different rotation rates and frequencies and the development of avoided crossings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the impact of nuclear reactions on the spectrum of gravity g-modes of a mature neutron star, demonstrating the anticipated disappearance of these modes when the time-scale associated with the oscillations is longer than that of nuclear reactions. This is the expected result, but different aspects of the demonstration may be relevant for related problems in neutron star astrophysics. In particular, we develop the framework required for an explicit implementation of finite-time nuclear reactions in neutron star oscillation problems and demonstrate how this formulation connects with the usual bulk viscosity prescription. We also discuss implications of the absence of very high order g-modes for problems of astrophysical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteroseismology has revealed that cores of red giants rotate about one order of magnitude faster than their convective envelopes. This paper attempts an explanation for this rotational state in terms of the theory of angular momentum transport in stellar convection zones. A differential rotation model based on the theory is applied to a sequence of evolutionary states of a red giant of one solar mass. The model computations show a rotation of about ten times faster in the cores compared to the stellar surface. This rotational state is caused by the non-diffusive downward convective transport of angular momentum. The contrast in rotational rates between core and envelope increases with the radius (age) of the star. Seismologically detected scaling for the spin-down of the giants' cores is also reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in asteroseismology – due to space-based missions such as CoRoT and Kepler – provide handles on those properties of stars that were either completely inaccessible in the past or only poorly measured. Among several such properties is the surface helium abundance of F and G stars. We used the oscillatory signature introduced by the ionization of helium in the observed oscillation frequencies to constrain the amount of helium settling in F stars. For this purpose, we identified three promising F stars for which the standard models of atomic diffusion predict large settling (or complete depletion) of surface helium. Assuming turbulence at the base of envelope convection zone slows down settling of the helium and heavy elements, we found an envelope mixed mass of approximately 5 × 10−4 M⊙ necessary to reproduce the observed amplitude of helium signature for all the three stars. This is much larger than the mixed mass of the order of 10−6 M⊙ found in the previous studies performed using the measurements of the heavy element abundances. This demonstrates the potential of using the helium signature together with measurements of the heavy element abundances to identify the most important physical processes competing against atomic diffusion, allowing eventually to correctly interpret the observed surface abundances of hot stars, consistent use of atomic diffusion in modelling both hot and cool stars, and shed some light on the long-standing cosmological lithium problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, by analysing the oscillation frequencies of 90 stars, Yıldız, Çelik Orhan & Kayhan have shown that the reference frequencies (νmin0, νmin1, and νmin2) derived from glitches due to He  ii ionization zone have very strong diagnostic potential for the determination of their effective temperatures. In this study, we continue to analyse the same stars and compute their mass, radius, and age from different scaling relations including relations based on νmin0, νmin1, and νmin2. For most of the stars, the masses computed using νmin0 and νmin1 are very close to each other. For 38 stars, the difference between these masses is less than 0.024 M |$\odot$| . The radii of these stars from νmin0 and νmin1 are even closer, with differences of less than 0.007 R |$\odot$| . These stars may be the most well known solar-like oscillating stars and deserve to be studied in detail. The asteroseismic expressions we derive for mass and radius show slight dependence on metallicity. We therefore develop a new method for computing initial metallicity from this surface metallicity by taking into account the effect of microscopic diffusion. The time dependence of initial metallicity shows some very interesting features that may be important for our understanding of chemical enrichment of Galactic Disc. According to our findings, every epoch of the disc has its own lowest and highest values for metallicity. It seems that rotational velocity is inversely proportional to 1/2 power of age as given by the Skumanich relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of the neutron-capture isotopes beyond iron that we observe today in the Solar system is the result of the combined contribution of the r -process, the s -process, and possibly the i -process. Low-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) (1.5 < M / M ⊙ < 3) and massive (M > 10 M⊙) stars have been identified as the main site of the s -process. In this work we consider the evolution and nucleosynthesis of low-mass AGB stars. We provide an update of the NuGrid Set models, adopting the same general physics assumptions but using an updated convective-boundary-mixing model accounting for the contribution from internal gravity waves. The combined data set includes the initial masses M ZAMS/ M ⊙ = 2, 3 for Z = 0.03, 0.02, 0.01. These new models are computed with the mesa stellar code and the evolution is followed up to the end of the AGB phase. The nucleosynthesis was calculated for all isotopes in post-processing with the NuGrid mppnp code. The convective-boundary-mixing model leads to the formation of a 13C-pocket three times wider compared to the one obtained in the previous set of models, bringing the simulation results now in closer agreement with observations. Using these new models, we discuss the potential impact of other processes inducing mixing, like rotation, adopting parametric models compatible with theory and observations. Complete yield data tables, derived data products, and online analytic data access are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new version of the White Dwarf Evolution Code (Bischoff-Kim & Montgomery 2018) overcomes limitations of earlier versions by utilizing MESA modules for the equations of state and opacities, now allowing regions of the model with a mix of helium, carbon, and oxygen. This single improvement allows us to almost exactly replicate models output by other stellar evolution codes. Armed with this new capability, we use as a star to fit, a hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf model from the La Plata group (using the LPCODE). We present results of fitting different subsets of periods for that model. This allows us some validation of our fitting methods, knowing exactly what properties we should be recovering in our best fit model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giammichele et al. (2018) proposed a full determination, largely independent of evolution calculations, of the chemical composition and stratification inside the hot pulsating DB white dwarf KIC 08626021. However, Timmes et al. (2018) pointed out that neglecting the effects of neutrino cooling, such as in the static models used in Giammichele et al. study, could impact significantly the derived seismic solution and compromise conclusions drawn upon it. Here we present a reanalysis of KIC 08626021, using improved static models which now incorporate more realistic luminosity profiles that reflect the still significant energy losses induced by neutrino emission mechanisms in hot DB white dwarfs. We show that this effect has only a limited impact on the derived seismic model properties and, more importantly, that all the conclusions brought by Giammichele et al. (2018) remain entirely valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State-of-the-art 1D stellar evolution codes rely on simplifying assumptions, such as mixing length theory, in order to describe superadiabatic convection. As a result, 1D stellar structure models do not correctly recover the surface layers of the Sun and other stars with convective envelopes. We present a method that overcomes this structural drawback by employing 3D hydrodynamic simulations of stellar envelopes: at every time-step of the evolution interpolated 3D envelopes are appended to the 1D structure and are used to supply realistic boundary conditions for the stellar interior. In contrast to previous attempts, our method includes mean 3D turbulent pressure. We apply our method to model the present Sun. The structural shortcomings of standard stellar models lead to systematic errors in the stellar oscillation frequencies inferred from the model. We show that our method fully corrects for this error. Furthermore, we show that our realistic treatment of superadiabatic convection alters the predicted evolution of the Sun. Our results hence have important implications for the characterization of stars. This has ramifications for neighbouring fields, such as exoplanet research and galactic archaeology, for which accurate stellar models play a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have modelled the multicycle evolution of rapidly accreting CO white dwarfs (RAWDs) with stable H burning intermittent with strong He-shell flashes on their surfaces for 0.7 ≤ M RAWD/M⊙ ≤ 0.75 and [Fe/H] ranging from 0 to −2.6. We have also computed the i-process nucleosynthesis yields for these models. The i process occurs when convection driven by the He-shell flash ingests protons from the accreted H-rich surface layer, which results in maximum neutron densities N n, max ≈ 1013–1015 cm−3. The H-ingestion rate and the convective boundary mixing (CBM) parameter f top adopted in the one-dimensional nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution models are constrained through three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic simulations. The mass ingestion rate and, for the first time, the scaling laws for the CBM parameter f top have been determined from 3D hydrodynamic simulations. We confirm our previous result that the high-metallicity RAWDs have a low mass retention efficiency (⁠|$\eta \lesssim 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠). A new result is that RAWDs with [Fe/H]  |$\lesssim -2$| have |$\eta \gtrsim 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠ ; therefore, their masses may reach the Chandrasekhar limit and they may eventually explode as SNeIa. This result and the good fits of the i-process yields from the metal-poor RAWDs to the observed chemical composition of the CEMP-r/s stars suggest that some of the present-day CEMP-r/s stars could be former distant members of triple systems, orbiting close binary systems with RAWDs that may have later exploded as SNeIa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the relation between the internal structures of 10 benchmark main-sequence F-stars and their rotational properties. Stellar rotation of main-sequence F-type stars can be characterized by two distinct rotational regimes. Early-type F-stars are usually rapid rotators with periods typically below 10 d, whereas later-type F-stars have longer rotation periods. Specifically, and since the two rotational regimes are tightly connected to the effective temperatures of the stars, we investigate in detail the characteristics of the partial ionization zones in the outer convective envelopes of these stars, which in turn, depend on the internal temperature profiles. Our study shows that the two rotational regimes might be distinguished by the relative locations of the partial ionization region of heavy elements and the base of the convective zone. Since in all these stars is expected a dynamo-driven magnetic field where the shear layer between convective and radiative zones (tachocline) plays an important role, this result suggests that the magnetic field may be related to the combined properties of convection and ionization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equilibrium of incompressible spheroid–ring systems in rigid rotation is investigated by numerical means for a unity density contrast. A great diversity of binary configurations is obtained, with no limit either in the mass ratio or in the orbital separation. We found only detached binaries, meaning that the end-point of the ϵ2-sequence is the single binary state in strict contact, easily prone to mass exchange. The solutions show a remarkable confinement in the rotation frequency–angular momentum diagram, with a total absence of equilibrium for Ω2/π G ρ ≳ 0.21. A short band of degeneracy is present next to the one-ring sequence. We unveil a continuum of bifurcations all along the ascending side of the Maclaurin sequence for eccentricities of the ellipsoid less than ≈0.612 and which involves a gradually expanding, initially massless loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stars lose a significant amount of angular momentum between birth and death, implying that efficient processes transporting it from the core to the surface are active. Space asteroseismology delivered the interior rotation rates of more than a thousand low- and intermediate-mass stars, revealing the following: ▪ Single stars rotate nearly uniformly during the core-hydrogen and core-helium burning phases. ▪ Stellar cores spin up to a factor of 10 faster than the envelope during the red giant phase. ▪ The angular momentum of the helium-burning core of stars is in agreement with the angular momentum of white dwarfs. Observations reveal a strong decrease of core angular momentum when stars have a convective core. Current theory of angular momentum transport fails to explain this. We propose improving the theory with a data-driven approach, whereby angular momentum prescriptions derived frommultidimensional (magneto)hydrodynamical simulations and theoretical considerations are continuously tested against modern observations. The TESS and PLATO space missions have the potential to derive the interior rotation of large samples of stars, including high-mass and metal-poor stars in binaries and clusters. This will provide the powerful observational constraints needed to improve theory and simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Exoplanet properties crucially depend on the parameters of their host stars: more accurate stellar parameters yield more accurate exoplanet characteristics. When the exoplanet host star shows pulsations, asteroseismology can be used for an improved description of the stellar parameters. Aims. We aim to revisit the pulsational properties of β Pic and identify its pulsation modes from normalized amplitudes in five different passbands. We also investigate the potential presence of a magnetic field. Methods. We conducted a frequency analysis using three seasons of BRITE-Constellation observations in the two BRITE filters, the about 620-day-long bRing light curve, and the nearly 8-year-long SMEI photometric time series. We calculated normalized amplitudes using all passbands and including previously published values obtained from ASTEP observations. We investigated the magnetic properties of β Pic using spectropolarimetric observations conducted with the HARPSpol instrument. Using 2D rotating models, we fit the normalized amplitudes and frequencies through Monte Carlo Markov chains. Results. We identify 15 pulsation frequencies in the range from 34 to 55 d−1, where two, F13 at 53.6917 d−1 and F11 at 50.4921 d−1, display clear amplitude variability. We use the normalized amplitudes in up to five passbands to identify the modes as three ℓ = 1, six ℓ = 2, and six ℓ = 3 modes. β Pic is shown to be non-magnetic with an upper limit of the possible undetected dipolar field of 300 Gauss. Conclusions. Multiple fits to the frequencies and normalized amplitudes are obtained, including one with a near equator-on inclination for β Pic, which corresponds to our expectations based on the orbital inclination of β Pic b and the orientation of the circumstellar disk. This solution leads to a rotation rate of 27% of the Keplerian breakup velocity, a radius of 1.497 ± 0.025 R⊙, and a mass of 1.797 ± 0.035 M⊙. The ∼2% errors in radius and mass do not account for uncertainties in the models and a potentially erroneous mode-identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The internal rotation of the Sun constitutes a fundamental constraint when modelling angular momentum transport in stellar interiors. In addition to the more external regions of the solar radiative zone probed by pressure modes, measurements of rotational splittings of gravity modes would offer an invaluable constraint on the rotation of the solar core. Aims. We study the constraints that a measurement of the core rotation rate of the Sun could bring on magnetic angular momentum transport in stellar radiative zones. Methods. Solar models accounting for angular momentum transport by hydrodynamic and magnetic instabilities were computed for different initial velocities and disc lifetimes on the pre-main sequence to reproduce the surface rotation velocities observed for solar-type stars in open clusters. The internal rotation of these solar models was then compared to helioseismic measurements. Results. We first show that models computed with angular momentum transport by magnetic instabilities and a recent prescription for the braking of the stellar surface by magnetized winds can reproduce the observations of surface velocities of stars in open clusters. These solar models predict both a flat rotation profile in the external part of the solar radiative zone probed by pressure modes and an increase in the rotation rate in the solar core, where the stabilizing effect of chemical gradients plays a key role. A rapid rotation of the core of the Sun, as suggested by reported detections of gravity modes, is thus found to be compatible with angular momentum transport by magnetic instabilities. Moreover, we show that the efficiency of magnetic angular momentum transport in regions of strong chemical gradients can be calibrated by the solar core rotation rate independently from the unknown rotational history of the Sun. In particular, we find that a recent revised prescription for the transport of angular momentum by the Tayler instability can be easily distinguished from the original Tayler–Spruit dynamo, with a faster rotating solar core supporting the original prescription. Conclusions. By calibrating the efficiency of magnetic angular momentum transport in regions of strong chemical gradients, a determination of the solar core rotation rate through gravity modes is of prime relevance not only for the Sun, but for stars in general, since radial differential rotation precisely develops in these regions during the more advanced stages of evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We use Hermite splines to interpolate pressure and its derivatives simultaneously, thereby preserving mathematical relations between the derivatives. The method therefore guarantees that thermodynamic identities are obeyed even between mesh points. In addition, our method enables an estimation of the precision of the interpolation by comparing the Hermite-spline results with those of frequent cubic (B-) spline interpolation. Methods. We have interpolated pressure as a function of temperature and density with quintic Hermite 2D-splines. The Hermite interpolation requires knowledge of pressure and its first and second derivatives at every mesh point. To obtain the partial derivatives at the mesh points, we used tabulated values if given or else thermodynamic equalities, or, if not available, values obtained by differentiating B-splines. Results. The results were obtained with the grid of the SAHA-S equation-of-state (EOS) tables. The maximum lgP difference lies in the range from 10−9 to 10−4, and Γ1 difference varies from 10−9 to 10−3. Specifically, for the points of a solar model, the maximum differences are one order of magnitude smaller than the aforementioned values. The poorest precision is found in the dissociation and ionization regions, occurring at T ∼ 1.5 × 103−105 K. The best precision is achieved at higher temperatures, T >  105 K. To discuss the significance of the interpolation errors we compare them with the corresponding difference between two different equation-of-state formalisms, SAHA-S and OPAL 2005. We find that the interpolation errors of the pressure are a few orders of magnitude less than the differences from between the physical formalisms, which is particularly true for the solar-model points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Observations of mixed modes in evolved low-mass stars enable us to probe the properties of not only the outer envelope of these stars, but also their deep layers. Among the seismic parameters associated with mixed modes, the gravity offset, denoted with εg, is expected to reveal information on the boundaries of the inner buoyancy resonant cavity. This parameter was recently measured for hundreds of stars observed by the Kepler satellite and its value was shown to change during evolution. Aims. In this article, we theoretically investigate the reasons for such a variation in terms of structure properties, focusing only on the red giant branch. Methods. Using available asymptotic analyses and a simple model of the Brunt–Väisälä and Lamb frequencies in the upper part of the radiative zone, we derived an analytical expression of εg for dipolar modes and compared its predictions to observations. Results. First, we show that the asymptotic value of εg well agrees with the mean value observed at the beginning of the ascent of the red giant branch, which results from the high density contrast between the helium core and the base of the convective envelope. Second, we demonstrate that the predicted value also explains the sharp decrease in εg observed for the more luminous red giant stars of the sample. This rapid drop turns out to occur just before the luminosity bump and results from the kink of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency near the upper turning point associated with the buoyancy cavity as stars evolve and this latter nears the base of the convective envelope. The potential of εg to probe the value and slope of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency below the base of the convective region is clearly highlighted. Conclusions. The observed variation in εg and its link with the internal properties on the red giant branch are now globally understood. This work motivates further analyses of the potential of this parameter as a seismic diagnosis of the region located between the hydrogen-burning shell and the base of the convective envelope, and of the local dynamical processes associated for instance with core contraction, the migration of the convective boundary, or overshooting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-line eclipsing binaries (DLEBs) have been recently used to constrain the amount of central mixing as a function of stellar mass, with contrasting results. In this work, we reanalyse the DLEB sample by Claret & Torres, using a Bayesian method and new parsec tracks that account for both convective core overshooting and rotational mixing. Using overshooting alone, we obtain that, for masses larger than about 1.9 M⊙, the distribution of the overshooting parameter, λov, has a wide dispersion between 0.3 and 0.8, with essentially no values below λov = 0.3 and 0.4. While the lower limit supports a mild convective overshooting efficiency, the large dispersion derived is difficult to explain in the framework of current models of that process, which leave little room for large randomness. We suggest that a simple interpretation of our results can be rotational mixing: Different initial rotational velocities, in addition to a fixed amount of overshooting, could reproduce the high dispersion derived for intermediate-mass stars. After a reanalysis of the data, we find good agreement with models computed with a fixed overshooting parameter, |$\mbox{$\lambda _\mathrm{ov}$}=0.4$|⁠, and initial rotational rates, ω, uniformly distributed in a wide range between 0 and 0.8 times the break-up value, at varying initial mass. We also find that our best-fitting models for the components of α Aurigae and TZ Fornacis agree with their observed rotational velocities, thus providing independent support to our hypothesis. We conclude that a constant efficiency of overshooting in concurrence with a star-to-star variation in the rotational mixing might be crucial in the interpretation of such data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Force on proton vortices in superfluid and superconducting matter of neutron stars is calculated at vanishing stellar temperature. Both longitudinal (dissipative) and transverse (Lorentz-type) components of the force are derived in a coherent way and compared in detail with the corresponding expressions available in the literature. This allows us to resolve a controversy about the form of the Lorentz-type force component acting on proton vortices. The calculated force is a key ingredient in magnetohydrodynamics of superconducting neutron stars and is important for modelling the evolution of stellar magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kepler Asteroseismic Legacy Project provided frequencies, separation ratios, error estimates, and covariance matrices for 66 Kepler main sequence targets. Most of the previous analysis of these data was focused on fitting standard stellar models. We present results of direct asteroseismic inversions using the method of optimally localized averages (OLA), which effectively eliminates the surface effects and attempts to resolve the stellar core structure. The inversions are presented for various structure properties, including the density stratification and sound speed. The results show that the mixed modes observed in post-main sequence F-type stars allow us to resolve the stellar core structure and reveal significant deviations from the evolutionary models obtained by the grid-fitting procedure to match the observed oscillation frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angular momentum (AM) evolution of stellar interiors, along with the resulting rotation rates of stellar remnants, remains poorly understood. Asteroseismic measurements of red giant stars reveal that their cores rotate much faster than their surfaces, but much slower than theoretically predicted, indicating an unidentified source of AM transport operates in their radiative cores. Motivated by this, we investigate the magnetic Tayler instability and argue that it saturates when turbulent dissipation of the perturbed magnetic field energy is equal to magnetic energy generation via winding. This leads to larger magnetic field amplitudes, more efficient AM transport, and smaller shears than predicted by the classic Tayler–Spruit dynamo. We provide prescriptions for the effective AM diffusivity and incorporate them into numerical stellar models, finding they largely reproduce (1) the nearly rigid rotation of the Sun and main sequence stars, (2) the core rotation rates of low-mass red giants during hydrogen shell and helium burning, and (3) the rotation rates of white dwarfs. We discuss implications for stellar rotational evolution, internal rotation profiles, rotational mixing, and the spins of compact objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asteroseismic modelling of period spacing patterns from gravito-inertial modes in stars with a convective core is a high-dimensional problem. We utilize the measured period spacing pattern of prograde dipole gravity modes (acquiring Π0), in combination with the effective temperature (T eff) and surface gravity (log  g) derived from spectroscopy, to estimate the fundamental stellar parameters and core properties of 37 γ Doradus (γ Dor) stars whose rotation frequency has been derived from Kepler photometry. We use two 6D grids of stellar models, one with step core overshooting and another with exponential core overshooting, to evaluate correlations between the three observables Π0, T eff, and log  g and the mass, age, core overshooting, metallicity, initial hydrogen mass fraction, and envelope mixing. We provide multivariate linear model recipes relating the stellar parameters to be estimated to the three observables (Π0, T eff, log  g). We estimate the (core) mass, age, core overshooting, and metallicity of γ Dor stars from an ensemble analysis and achieve relative uncertainties of ∼10 per cent for the parameters. The asteroseismic age determination allows us to conclude that efficient angular momentum transport occurs already early on during the main sequence. We find that the nine stars with observed Rossby modes occur across almost the entire main-sequence phase, except close to core-hydrogen exhaustion. Future improvements of our work will come from the inclusion of more types of detected modes per star, larger samples, and modelling of individual mode frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteroseismological analysis of NY Vir suggests that at least the outer 55 per cent of the star (in radius) rotates as a solid body and is tidally synchronized to the orbit. Detailed calculation of tidal dissipation rates in NY Vir fails to account for this synchronization. Recent observations of He core burning stars suggest that the extent of the convective core may be substantially larger than that predicted with theoretical models. We conduct a parametric investigation of sdB models generated with the Cambridge stars code to artificially extend the radial extent of the convective core. These models with extended cores still fail to account for the synchronization. Tidal synchronization may be achievable with a non-MLT treatment of convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The evolution of massive stars is strongly influenced by internal mixing processes such as semiconvection, convective core overshooting, and rotationally induced mixing. None of these processes are currently well constrained. Aims. We investigate models for massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), for which stellar-wind mass loss is less important than for their metal-rich counterparts. We aim to constrain the various mixing efficiencies by comparing model results to observations. Methods. For this purpose, we use the stellar-evolution code MESA to compute more than 60 grids of detailed evolutionary models for stars with initial masses of 9...100 M⊙, assuming different combinations of mixing efficiencies of the various processes in each grid. Our models evolve through core hydrogen and helium burning, such that they can be compared with the massive main sequence and supergiant population of the SMC. Results. We find that for most of the combinations of the mixing efficiencies, models in a wide mass range spend core-helium burning either only as blue supergiants, or only as red supergiants. The latter case corresponds to models that maintain a shallow slope of the hydrogen/helium (H/He) gradient separating the core and the envelope of the models. Only a small part of the mixing parameter space leads to models that produce a significant number of blue and red supergiants, which are both in abundance in the SMC. Some of our grids also predict a cut-off in the number of red supergiants above log L/L⊙ = 5...5.5. Interestingly, these models contain steep H/He gradients, as is required to understand the hot, hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet stars in the SMC. We find that unless it is very fast, rotation has a limited effect on the H/He profiles in our models. Conclusions. While we use specific implementations of the considered mixing processes, they comprehensively probe the two first-order structural parameters, the core mass and the H/He gradient in the core-envelope interface. Our results imply that in massive stars, mixing during the main-sequence evolution leads to a moderate increase in the helium core masses, and also that the H/He gradients above the helium cores become very steep. Our model grids can be used to further refine the various mixing efficiencies with the help of future observational surveys of the massive stars in the SMC, and thereby help to considerably reduce the uncertainties in models of massive star evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-massive white dwarfs are powerful tools used to study various physical processes in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), type Ia supernova explosions, and the theory of crystallization through white dwarf asteroseismology. Despite the interest in these white dwarfs, there are few evolutionary studies in the literature devoted to them. Here we present new ultra-massive white dwarf evolutionary sequences that constitute an improvement over previous ones. In these new sequences we take into account for the first time the process of phase separation expected during the crystallization stage of these white dwarfs by relying on the most up-to-date phase diagram of dense oxygen/neon mixtures. Realistic chemical profiles resulting from the full computation of progenitor evolution during the semidegenerate carbon burning along the super-AGB phase are also considered in our sequences. Outer boundary conditions for our evolving models are provided by detailed non-gray white dwarf model atmospheres for hydrogen and helium composition. We assessed the impact of all these improvements on the evolutionary properties of ultra-massive white dwarfs, providing updated evolutionary sequences for these stars. We conclude that crystallization is expected to affect the majority of the massive white dwarfs observed with effective temperatures below 40 000 K. Moreover, the calculation of the phase separation process induced by crystallization is necessary to accurately determine the cooling age and the mass-radius relation of massive white dwarfs. We also provide colors in the Gaia photometric bands for our H-rich white dwarf evolutionary sequences on the basis of new model atmospheres. Finally, these new white dwarf sequences provide a new theoretical frame to perform asteroseismological studies on the recently detected ultra-massive pulsating white dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model neutron star cooling with several microscopic nuclear equations of state based on different nucleon–nucleon interactions and three-body forces, and compatible with the recent GW170817 neutron star merger event. They all feature strong direct Urca processes. We find that all models are able to describe well the current set of cooling data for isolated neutron stars, provided that large and extended proton 1 S 0 gaps and no neutron 3 PF 2 gaps are active in the stellar matter. We then analyse the neutron star mass distributions predicted by the different models and single out the preferred ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-dimensional (1D) stellar evolution codes employ rudimentary treatments of turbulent convection. For stars with convective envelopes, this leads to systematic errors in the predicted oscillation frequencies needed for asteroseismology. One way of mending these structural inadequacies is through patching, whereby the outermost layers of 1D models are replaced by the mean stratifications from three-dimensional (3D) simulations. In order to viably implement this approach in asteroseismic analysis, interpolation throughout pre-computed 3D envelopes is required. We present a method that interpolates throughout pre-computed 3D envelopes as a function of effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity. We conduct a series of validation tests that demonstrate that the scheme reliably and accurately reproduces the structures of stellar envelopes and apply our method to the Sun as well as two stars observed by Kepler. We parametrize the frequency shift that results from patching and show that the functional forms are evolutionary dependent. In addition, we find that neglecting modal effects, such as non-adiabatic energetics, introduces systematic errors in asteroseimically obtained stellar parameters. Both these results suggest that a cautious approach is necessary when utilizing empirical surface corrections in lieu of patching models. Our results have important implications, particularly for characterizing exoplanet systems, where accuracy is of utmost concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convective boundary mixing (CBM) in the advanced evolutionary stages of massive stars is not well understood. Structural changes caused by convection have an impact on the evolution as well as the subsequent supernova, or lack thereof. The effects of convectively driven mixing across convective boundaries during the post-He core burning evolution of 25 M |$\odot$| , solar-metallicity, non-rotating stellar models is studied using the MESA  stellar evolution code. CBM is modelled using the exponentially decaying diffusion coefficient equation, the free parameter of which, f CBM, is varied systematically throughout the course of the stellar model's evolution with values of (0.002, 0.012, 0.022, 0.032). The effect of varying this parameter produces mass ranges at collapse in the ONe, Si, Fe cores of (1.82 M |$\odot$| , 4.36 M |$\odot$| ), (1.67 M |$\odot$| , 1.99 M |$\odot$| ) and (1.46 M |$\odot$| , 1.70 M |$\odot$| ) respectively, with per cent differences from the model with minimal CBM as large as 86.3 per cent. At the pre-supernova stage, the compactness of the stellar cores, ξ M , exhibit a range of (0.120, 0.354), suggesting that the extent of CBM in the advanced burning stages of massive stars is an important consideration for the explodability and type of compact remnant. The nucleosynthetic yields from the models, most notably C, O, Ne, Mg, and Si are also significantly affected by the CBM assumptions, showing non-linear trends with increased mixing. The simulations show that interactions between convective C, Ne, and O shells produce significant non-linear changes in the evolution, whereas from the end of Si burning, the structural changes attributed to the CBM are dominated by the growth of the convective C shell. Structure evolution data sets for all the models are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. One of the greatest uncertainties in modelling the mass-exchange phases during the evolution of a binary system is the quantity of mass and angular momentum that has been lost from the system. To constrain this problem, a favourable, evolved, and detached real binary system is valuable as an example of the end result of this process. Aims. We study the 52-day post-mass-exchange eclipsing binary V643 Ori from complete uvby light curves and high-resolution spectra. V643 Ori is double-lined and shows total primary eclipses. The orbit is accurately circular and the rotation of the two stars is synchronised with the orbit, but the photometry from a single year (1993) shows signs of weak spot activity (0.02 mag) around the primary eclipse. Results. We determined accurate masses of 3.3 and 1.9 M⊙ from the spectroscopic orbit and solved the four light curves to determine radii of 16 and 21 R⊙, using the Wilson-Devinney photometric code. The rotational velocities from the cross-correlation profiles agree well with those computed from the known radii and orbital parameters. All observable parameters are thus very precisely determined, but the masses and radii of V643 Ori are incompatible with undisturbed post-main-sequence evolution. Conclusions. We have attempted to simulate the past evolutionary history of V643 Ori under both conservative and non-conservative Case B mass transfer scenarios. In the non-conservative case we varied the amounts of mass and angular momentum loss needed to arrive at the present masses in a circular 52-day orbit, keeping the two stars detached and synchronised as now observed, but without following the evolution of other stellar properties in any detail. Multiple possible solutions were found. Further attempts were made using both the BSE formalism and the binary MESA code in order to track stellar evolution more closely, and make use of the measured radii and temperatures as important additional constraints. Those efforts yielded no satisfactory solutions, possibly due to limitations in handling mass transfer in evolved stars such as these. We remain hopeful that future theoreticians can more fully model the system under realistic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Space asteroseismology reveals that stellar structure and evolution models of intermediate- and high-mass stars are in need of improvement in terms of angular momentum and chemical element transport. Aims. We aim to probe the interior structure of a hot, massive star in the core-hydrogen-burning phase of its evolution. Methods. We analysed CoRoT space photometry, Gaia DR2 space astrometry, and high-resolution high signal-to-noise HERMES and HARPS time-series spectroscopy of the slowly rotating B2V star HD 170580. Results. From the time-series spectroscopy, we derive v sin i = 4 ± 2 km s−1, where the uncertainty results from the complex pulsational line-profile variability that has been so far ignored in the literature. We detect 42 frequencies with amplitudes above five times the local noise level. Amongst these we identify five rotationally split triplets and one quintuplet. Asteroseismic modelling based on CoRoT, Gaia DR2, and spectroscopic data leads to a star of M ∼ 8 M⊙ near core-hydrogen exhaustion and an extended overshoot zone. The detected low-order pressure-mode frequencies cannot be fit within the uncertainties of the CoRoT data by models without atomic diffusion. Irrespective of this limitation, the low-order gravity modes reveal HD 170580 to be a slow rotator with an average rotation period between 73 and 98 d and a hint of small differential rotation. Conclusions. Future Gaia DR3 data taking into account the multiplicity of the star, along with long-term TESS photometry would allow us to put better observational constraints on the asteroseismic models of this blue evolved massive star. Improved modelling with atomic diffusion, including radiative levitation, is needed to achieve compliance with the low helium surface abundance of the star. This poses immense computational challenges but is required to derive the interior rotation and mixing profiles of this star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The study of stellar structure and evolution depends crucially on accurate stellar parameters. The photometry from space telescopes has provided superb data that enabled the asteroseismic characterisation of thousands of stars. However, typical targets of space telescopes are rather faint and complementary measurements are difficult to obtain. On the other hand, the brightest, otherwise well-studied stars, are lacking seismic characterization. Aims. Our goal is to use the granulation and/or oscillation timescales measured from photometric time series of bright red giants (1.6 ≤ V mag ≤ 5.3) observed with BRITE-Constellation to determine stellar surface gravities and masses. Methods. We used probabilistic methods to characterise the granulation and/or oscillation signal in the power density spectra and the autocorrelation function of the BRITE-Constellation time series. Results. We detect a clear granulation and/or oscillation signal in 23 red giant stars and extract the corresponding timescales from the power density spectra as well as the autocorrelation function of the BRITE-Constellation time series. To account for the recently discovered non-linearity of the classical seismic scaling relations, we used parameters from a large sample of Kepler stars to re-calibrate the scalings of the high- and low-frequency components of the granulation signal. We developed a method to identify which component is measured if only one granulation component is statistically significant in the data. We then used the new scalings to determine the surface gravity of our sample stars, finding them to be consistent with those determined from the autocorrelation signal of the time series. We further used radius estimates from the literature to determine the stellar masses of our sample stars from the measured surface gravities. We also defined a statistical measure for the evolutionary stage of the stars. Conclusions. Our sample of stars covers low-mass stars on the lower giant branch to evolved massive supergiants and even though we cannot verify our mass estimates with independent measurements from the literature, they appear to be at least good enough to separate high-mass from low-mass stars. Given the large known but usually not considered systematic uncertainties in the previous model-based mass estimates, we prefer our model-independent measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the dependence of the mass–radius relation for DA white dwarf stars on the hydrogen envelope mass and the impact on the value of log  g, and thus the determination of the stellar mass. We employ a set of full evolutionary carbon–oxygen core white dwarf sequences with white dwarf mass between 0.493 and 1.05 M⊙. Computations of the pre-white-dwarf evolution uncovers an intrinsic dependence of the maximum mass of the hydrogen envelope on the stellar mass; i.e. it decreases when the total mass increases. We find that a reduction of the hydrogen envelope mass can lead to a reduction in the radius of the model of up to |${\sim } 12{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠. This translates directly to an increase in log  g for a fixed stellar mass, which can reach up to 0.11 dex, mainly overestimating the determinations of stellar mass from atmospheric parameters. Finally, we find a good agreement between the results from the theoretical mass–radius relation and observations from white dwarfs in binary systems. In particular, we find a thin hydrogen mass of M H ∼ 2 × 10−8 M⊙ for 40 Eridani B, in agreement with previous determinations. For Sirius B, the spectroscopic mass is 4.3 per cent lower than the dynamical mass. However, the values of mass and radius from gravitational redshift observations are compatible with the theoretical mass–radius relation for a thick hydrogen envelope of M H = 2 × 10−6 M⊙. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural stratification of a solar-type main-sequence star primarily depends on its mass and chemical composition. The surface heavy element abundances of the solar-type stars are reasonably well determined using conventional spectroscopy; however, the second most abundant element helium is not. This is due to the fact that the envelope temperature of such stars is not high enough to excite helium. Since the helium abundance of a star affects its structure and subsequent evolution, the uncertainty in the helium abundance of a star makes estimates of its global properties (mass, radius, age etc.) uncertain as well. The detections of the signatures of the acoustic glitches from the precisely measured stellar oscillation frequencies provide an indirect way to estimate the envelope helium content. We use the glitch signature caused by the ionization of helium to determine the envelope helium abundance of 38 stars in the Kepler seismic LEGACY sample. Our results confirm that atomic diffusion does indeed take place in solar-type stars. We use the measured surface abundances in combination with the settling predicted by the stellar models to determine the initial abundances. The initial helium and metal mass fractions have subsequently been used to get the preliminary estimates of the primordial helium abundance, Y p = 0.244 ± 0.019, and the Galactic enrichment ratio, Δ Y /Δ Z  = 1.226 ± 0.849. Although the current estimates have large errorbars due to the limited sample size, this method holds great promises to determine these parameters precisely in the era of upcoming space missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We critically analysed the theoretical foundation and statistical reliability of the mixing-length calibration by means of standard (Teff, [Fe/H]) and global asteroseismic observables (Δν, νmax) of field stars. We also discussed the soundness of inferring a possible metallicity dependence of the mixing-length parameter from field stars. Methods. We followed a theoretical approach based on mock datasets of artificial stars sampled from a grid of stellar models with a fixed mixing-length parameter αml. We then recovered the mixing-length parameter of the mock stars by means of SCEPtER maximum-likelihood algorithm. We finally analysed the differences between the true and recovered mixing-length values quantifying the random errors due to the observational uncertainties and the biases due to possible discrepancies in the chemical composition and input physics between artificial stars and the models adopted in the recovery. Results. We verified that the αml estimates are affected by a huge spread, even in the ideal configuration of perfect agreement between the mock data and the recovery grid of models. While the artificial stars were computed at fixed solar-calibrated αml = 2.10, the recovered values had a mean of 2.20 and a standard deviation of 0.52. Then we explored the case in which the solar heavy-element mixture used to compute the models is different from that adopted in the artificial stars. We found an estimated mixing-length mean of 2.24 ± 0.48 and, more interestingly, a metallicity relationship in which αml increases by 0.4 for an increase of 1 dex in [Fe/H]. Thus, a simple heavy-element mixture mismatch induced a spurious, but statistically robust, dependence of the estimated mixing-length on metallicity. The origin of this trend was further investigated considering the differences in the initial helium abundance Y – [Fe/H] – initial metallicity Z relation assumed in the models and data. We found that a discrepancy between the adopted helium-to-metal enrichment ratio ΔY/ΔZ caused the appearance of spurious trends in the estimated mixing-length values. An underestimation of its value from ΔY/ΔZ = 2.0 in the mock data to ΔY/ΔZ = 1.0 in the recovery grid resulted in an increasing trend, while the opposite behaviour occurred for an equivalent overestimation. A similar effect was caused by an offset in the [Fe/H] to global metallicity Z conversion. A systematic overestimation of [Fe/H] by 0.1 dex in the recovery grid of models forced an increasing trend of αml versus [Fe/H] of about 0.2 per dex. We also explored the impact of some possible discrepancies between the adopted input physics in the recovery grid of models and mock data. We observed an induced trend with metallicity of about Δαml = 0.3 per dex when the effect of the microscopic diffusion is neglected in the recovery grid, while no trends originated from a wrong assumption on the effective temperature scale by ±100 K. Finally, we proved that the impact of different assumptions on the outer boundary conditions was apparent only in the RGB phase. Conclusions. We showed that the mixing-length estimates of field stars are affected by a huge spread even in an ideal case in which the stellar models used to estimate αml are exactly the same models as used to build the mock dataset. Moreover, we proved that there are many assumptions adopted in the stellar models used in the calibration that can induce spurious trend of the estimated αml with [Fe/H]. Therefore, any attempt to calibrate the mixing-length parameter by means of Teff, [Fe/H], Δν, and νmax of field stars seems to be statistically poorly reliable. As such, any claim about the possible dependence of the mixing-length on the metallicity for field stars should be considered cautiously and critically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model the oscillations of the SONG target |$\mu$| Herculis to estimate the parameters of the star. The ℓ = 1 mixed modes of |$\mu$| Her provide strong constraints on stellar properties. The mass and age given by our asteroseismic modelling are 1.10 |$^{+0.11}_{-0.06}$| M⊙ and 7.55 |$^{+0.96}_{-0.79}$| Gyr, respectively. The initial helium abundance is also constrained at around Y init = 0.28, suggesting a ratio in the elements enrichment law (Δ Y /Δ Z) around 1.3, which is closed to the solar value. The mixing-length parameter converges to about 1.7, which is ∼10 per cent lower than the solar value and consistent with the results from hydrodynamic simulations. Our estimates of stellar mass and age agree very well with the previous modelling results with different input physics. Adding asteroseismic information makes these determinations less model dependent than is typically the case when only surface information is available. Our studies of the model dependence (mass, initial helium and metallicity fractions, and the mixing-length parameter) of the age determination indicate that accurate stellar ages (≲10 per cent) can be expected from asteroseismic modelling for stars similar to |$\mu$| Her. The ℓ = 1 bumped modes, which are sensitive to the mean density of the helium core, provide a useful 'clock' that provides additional constraints on its age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Asteroseismology is a unique tool that can be used to study the interior of stars and hence deliver unique information for the studiy of stellar physics, stellar evolution, and Galactic archaeology. Aims. We aim to develop a simple model of the information content of asteroseismology and to characterize the ability and precision with which fundamental properties of stars can be estimated for different space missions. Methods. We defined and calibrated metrics of the seismic performance. The metrics, expressed by a seismic index ℰ defined by simple scaling relations, are calculated for an ensemble of stars. We studied the relations between the properties of mission observations, fundamental stellar properties, and the performance index. We also defined thresholds for asteroseismic detection and measurement of different stellar properties. Results. We find two regimes of asteroseismic performance: the first where the signal strength is dominated by stellar properties and not by observational noise; and the second where observational properties dominate. Typically, for evolved stars, stellar properties provide the dominant terms in estimating the information content, while main sequence stars fall in the regime where the observational properties, especially stellar magnitude, dominate. We estimate scaling relations to predict ℰ with an intrinsic scatter of around 21%. Incidentally, the metrics allow us to distinguish stars burning either hydrogen or helium. Conclusions. Our predictions will help identify the nature of the cohort of existing and future asteroseismic observations. In addition, the predicted performance for PLATO will help define optimal observing strategies for defined scientific goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal gravity waves (IGW) propagate in the radiation zones of all stars. During propagation, their amplitudes are affected by two main features: radiative diffusion and density stratification. We have studied the implications of these two features on waves travelling within the radiative zones of non-rotating stars with stellar parameters obtained from the one-dimensional stellar evolution code, MESA. As a simple measure of induced wave dynamics, we define a criterion to see if waves can become non-linear and if so, under what conditions. This was done to understand the role IGW may play in angular momentum transport and mixing within stellar interiors. We find that the IGW generation spectrum, convective velocities, and the strength of density stratification all play major roles in whether waves become non-linear. With increasing stellar mass, there is an increasing trend in non-linear wave energies. The trends with different metallicities and ages depend on the generation spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the discovery of two new super Li-rich K giants: HD 24960 and TYC 1751-1713-1. Based on high-resolution (R ≈ 60 000) spectroscopy, we have derived Li abundance of A (Li) ≈ 4.0 dex for both stars. Other elemental abundances are normal of typical K giants. Low ratios of [C/N] ≤ −0.25 and 12C/13C ≤ 10 suggest that the stars are in the upper red giant branch (RGB) phase. Further, based on Gaia astrometry and secondary calibrations using Kepler asteroseismic and LAMOST spectroscopic data, we argue that both stars belong to the red clump (RC) phase with core He burning. Results add to a half-dozen already known RC Li-rich K giants and support the growing evidence that the origin of Li excess in RC giants seems to be associated with either He flash at the tip of the RGB or recent planet/ brown dwarf merger events closer to the RGB tip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous presence of variability due to both pulsations and binarity is no rare phenomenon. Unfortunately, the complexities of dealing with even one of these sources of variability individually means that the other signal is often treated as a nuisance and discarded. However, both types of variability offer means to probe fundamental stellar properties in robust ways through asteroseismic and binary modelling. We present an efficient methodology that includes both binary and asteroseismic information to estimate fundamental stellar properties based on a grid-based modelling approach. We report parameters for three gravity mode pulsating Kepler binaries, such as mass, radius, age, as well the mass of the convective core and location of the overshoot region. We discuss the presence of parameter degeneracies and the way our methodology deals with them. We provide asteroseismically calibrated isochrone-clouds to the community; these are a generalization of isochrones when allowing for different values of the core overshooting in the two components of the binary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex mixing and magnetic field generation occur within stellar interiors particularly where there is a strong shear flow. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of these processes, it is necessary to study the complex dynamics of shear regions. Because of current observational limitations, it is necessary to investigate the inevitable small-scale dynamics via numerical calculations. Here, we examine direct numerical calculations of a local model of unstable shear flows in a compressible polytropic fluid primarily in a two-dimensional domain, where we focus on determining how key parameters affect the global properties and characteristics of the resulting saturated turbulent phase. We consider the effect of varying both the viscosity and the thermal diffusivity on the non-linear evolution. Moreover, our main focus is to understand the global properties of the saturated phase, in particular estimating for the first time the spread of the shear region from an initially hyperbolic tangent velocity profile. We find that the vertical extent of the mixing region in the saturated regime is generally determined by the initial Richardson number of the system. Further, the characteristic quantities of the turbulence, i.e. typical length-scale and the root-mean-square velocity are found to depend on both the Richardson number and the thermal diffusivity. Finally, we present our findings of our investigation into saturated flows of a 'secular' shear instability in the low Péclet number regime with large Richardson numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]