@article{CharpinetBrassardFontaineetal.2019, author = {Charpinet, St{\´e}phane and Brassard, P. and Fontaine, G. and Van Grootel, Valerie and Zong, Weika and Giammichele, N. and Heber, Ulrich and Bogn{\´a}r, Zs{\´o}fia and Geier, Stephan Alfred and Green, Elizabeth M. and Hermes, J. J. and Kilkenny, D. and Ostensen, R. H. and Pelisoli, Ingrid Domingos and Silvotti, R. and Telting, J. H. and Vuckovic, Maja and Worters, H. L. and Baran, Andrzej S. and Bell, Keaton J. and Bradley, Paul A. and Debes, J. H. and Kawaler, S. D. and Kolaczek-Szymanski, P. and Murphy, S. J. and Pigulski, A. and Sodor, A. and Uzundag, Murat and Handberg, R. and Kjeldsen, H. and Ricker, G. R. and Vanderspek, R. K.}, title = {TESS first look at evolved compact pulsators Discovery and asteroseismic probing of the g-mode hot B subdwarf pulsator EC 21494-7018}, series = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, volume = {632}, journal = {Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, address = {Les Ulis}, issn = {0004-6361}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/201935395}, pages = {23}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Context. The TESS satellite was launched in 2018 to perform high-precision photometry from space over almost the whole sky in a search for exoplanets orbiting bright stars. This instrument has opened new opportunities to study variable hot subdwarfs, white dwarfs, and related compact objects. Targets of interest include white dwarf and hot subdwarf pulsators, both carrying high potential for asteroseismology. Aims. We present the discovery and detailed asteroseismic analysis of a new g-mode hot B subdwarf (sdB) pulsator, EC 21494-7018 (TIC 278659026), monitored in TESS first sector using 120-s cadence. Methods. The TESS light curve was analyzed with standard prewhitening techniques, followed by forward modeling using our latest generation of sdB models developed for asteroseismic investigations. By simultaneously best-matching all the observed frequencies with those computed from models, we identified the pulsation modes detected and, more importantly, we determined the global parameters and structural configuration of the star. Results. The light curve analysis reveals that EC 21494-7018 is a sdB pulsator counting up to 20 frequencies associated with independent g-modes. The seismic analysis singles out an optimal model solution in full agreement with independent measurements provided by spectroscopy (atmospheric parameters derived from model atmospheres) and astrometry (distance evaluated from Gaia DR2 trigonometric parallax). Several key parameters of the star are derived. Its mass (0.391 +/- 0.009x2006;M-circle dot) is significantly lower than the typical mass of sdB stars and suggests that its progenitor has not undergone the He-core flash; therefore this progenitor could originate from a massive (greater than or similar to 2;M-circle dot) red giant, which is an alternative channel for the formation of sdBs. Other derived parameters include the H-rich envelope mass (0.0037 +/- 0.0010;M-circle dot), radius (0.1694 +/- 0.0081;R-circle dot), and luminosity (8.2 +/- 1.1;L-circle dot). The optimal model fit has a double-layered He+H composition profile, which we interpret as an incomplete but ongoing process of gravitational settling of helium at the bottom of a thick H-rich envelope. Moreover, the derived properties of the core indicate that EC 21494-7018 has burnt similar to 43\% (in mass) of its central helium and possesses a relatively large mixed core (M-core;=;0.198 +/- 0.010;M-circle dot), in line with trends already uncovered from other g-mode sdB pulsators analyzed with asteroseismology. Finally, we obtain for the first time an estimate of the amount of oxygen (in mass; X(O)(core) = 0.16(-0.05)(+0.13)X(O)core=0.16-0.05+0.13\$ X(mathrm{O})_{mathrm{core}}=0.16_{-0.05}<^>{+0.13} \$) produced at this stage of evolution by an helium-burning core. This result, along with the core-size estimate, is an interesting constraint that may help to narrow down the still uncertain C-12(alpha,;gamma)O-16 nuclear reaction rate.}, language = {en} } @article{RamiaramanantsoaRatnasingamShenaretal.2018, author = {Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina and Ratnasingam, Rathish and Shenar, Tomer and Moffat, Anthony F. J. and Rogers, Tamara M. and Popowicz, Adam and Kuschnig, Rainer and Pigulski, Andrzej and Handler, Gerald and Wade, Gregg A. and Zwintz, Konstanze and Weiss, Werner W.}, title = {A BRITE view on the massive O-type supergiant V973 Scorpii}, series = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, volume = {480}, journal = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, number = {1}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0035-8711}, doi = {10.1093/mnras/sty1897}, pages = {972 -- 986}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Stochastically triggered photospheric light variations reaching similar to 40 mmag peak-to-valley amplitudes have been detected in the O8 Iaf supergiant V973 Scorpii as the outcome of 2 months of high-precision time-resolved photometric observations with the BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) nanosatellites. The amplitude spectrum of the time series photometry exhibits a pronounced broad bump in the low-frequency regime (less than or similar to 0.9 d(-1)) where several prominent frequencies are detected. A time-frequency analysis of the observations reveals typical mode lifetimes of the order of 5-10 d. The overall features of the observed brightness amplitude spectrum of V973 Sco match well with those extrapolated from two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of convectively driven internal gravity waves randomly excited from deep in the convective cores of massive stars. An alternative or additional possible source of excitation from a sub-surface convection zone needs to be explored in future theoretical investigations.}, language = {en} } @article{RamiaramanantsoaMoffatHarmonetal.2018, author = {Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina and Moffat, Anthony F. J. and Harmon, Robert and Ignace, R. and St-Louis, Nicole and Vanbeveren, Dany and Shenar, Tomer and Pablo, Herbert and Richardson, Noel D. and Howarth, Ian D. and Stevens, Ian R. and Piaulet, Caroline and St-Jean, Lucas and Eversberg, Thomas and Pigulski, Andrzej and Popowicz, Adam and Kuschnig, Rainer and Zoclonska, Elzbieta and Buysschaert, Bram and Handler, Gerald and Weiss, Werner W. and Wade, Gregg A. and Rucinski, Slavek M. and Zwintz, Konstanze and Luckas, Paul and Heathcote, Bernard and Cacella, Paulo and Powles, Jonathan and Locke, Malcolm and Bohlsen, Terry and Chen{\´e}, Andr{\´e}-Nicolas and Miszalski, Brent and Waldron, Wayne L. and Kotze, Marissa M. and Kotze, Enrico J. and B{\"o}hm, Torsten}, title = {BRITE-Constellation high-precision time-dependent photometry of the early O-type supergiant zeta Puppis unveils the photospheric drivers of its small- and large-scale wind structures}, series = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, volume = {473}, journal = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, number = {4}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0035-8711}, doi = {10.1093/mnras/stx2671}, pages = {5532 -- 5569}, year = {2018}, abstract = {From 5.5 months of dual-band optical photometric monitoring at the 1 mmag level, BRITE-Constellation has revealed two simultaneous types of variability in the O4I(n)fp star ζ Puppis: one single periodic non-sinusoidal component superimposed on a stochastic component. The monoperiodic component is the 1.78-d signal previously detected by Coriolis/Solar Mass Ejection Imager, but this time along with a prominent first harmonic. The shape of this signal changes over time, a behaviour that is incompatible with stellar oscillations but consistent with rotational modulation arising from evolving bright surface inhomogeneities. By means of a constrained non-linear light-curve inversion algorithm, we mapped the locations of the bright surface spots and traced their evolution. Our simultaneous ground-based multisite spectroscopic monitoring of the star unveiled cyclical modulation of its He ii λ4686 wind emission line with the 1.78-d rotation period, showing signatures of corotating interaction regions that turn out to be driven by the bright photospheric spots observed by BRITE. Traces of wind clumps are also observed in the He ii λ4686 line and are correlated with the amplitudes of the stochastic component of the light variations probed by BRITE at the photosphere, suggesting that the BRITE observations additionally unveiled the photospheric drivers of wind clumps in ζ Pup and that the clumping phenomenon starts at the very base of the wind. The origins of both the bright surface inhomogeneities and the stochastic light variations remain unknown, but a subsurface convective zone might play an important role in the generation of these two types of photospheric variability.}, language = {en} } @article{RichardsonRussellStJeanetal.2017, author = {Richardson, Noel D. and Russell, Christopher M. P. and St-Jean, Lucas and Moffat, Anthony F. J. and St-Louis, Nicole and Shenar, Tomer and Pablo, Herbert and Hill, Grant M. and Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina and Corcoran, Michael and Hamuguchi, Kenji and Eversberg, Thomas and Miszalski, Brent and Chene, Andre-Nicolas and Waldron, Wayne and Kotze, Enrico J. and Kotze, Marissa M. and Luckas, Paul and Cacella, Paulo and Heathcote, Bernard and Powles, Jonathan and Bohlsen, Terry and Locke, Malcolm and Handler, Gerald and Kuschnig, Rainer and Pigulski, Andrzej and Popowicz, Adam and Wade, Gregg A. and Weiss, Werner W.}, title = {The variability of the BRITE-est Wolf-Rayet binary, gamma(2) Velorum-I. Photometric and spectroscopic evidence for colliding winds}, series = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, volume = {471}, journal = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0035-8711}, doi = {10.1093/mnras/stx1731}, pages = {2715 -- 2729}, year = {2017}, abstract = {We report on the first multi-colour precision light curve of the bright Wolf-Rayet binary gamma(2) Velorum, obtained over six months with the nanosatellites in the BRITE-Constellation fleet. In parallel, we obtained 488 high-resolution optical spectra of the system. In this first report on the data sets, we revise the spectroscopic orbit and report on the bulk properties of the colliding winds. We find a dependence of both the light curve and excess emission properties that scales with the inverse of the binary separation. When analysing the spectroscopic properties in combination with the photometry, we find that the phase dependence is caused only by excess emission in the lines, and not from a changing continuum. We also detect a narrow, high-velocity absorption component from the He perpendicular to lambda 5876 transition, which appears twice in the orbit. We calculate smoothed-particle hydrodynamical simulations of the colliding winds and can accurately associate the absorption from He perpendicular to to the leading and trailing arms of the wind shock cone passing tangentially through our line of sight. The simulations also explain the general strength and kinematics of the emission excess observed in wind lines such as C III lambda 5696 of the system. These results represent the first in a series of investigations into the winds and properties of gamma(2) Velorum through multi-technique and multi-wavelength observational campaigns.}, language = {en} }