Probing the interior physics of stars through asteroseismology. (arXiv:1912.12300v3 [astro-ph.SR] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Aerts_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">C. Aerts</a>
Yearslong time series of high-precision brightness measurements have been
assembled for thousands of stars with telescopes operating in space. Such data
have allowed astronomers to measure the physics of stellar interiors via
nonradial oscillations, opening a new avenue to study the stars in the
Universe. Asteroseismology, the interpretation of the characteristics of
oscillation modes in terms of the physical properties of the stellar interior,
brought entirely new insights in how stars rotate and how they build up their
chemistry throughout their evolution. Data-driven space asteroseismology
delivered a drastic increase in the reliability of computer models mimicking
the evolution of stars born with a variety of masses and metallicities. Such
models are critical ingredients for modern physics as a whole, because they are
used throughout various contemporary and multidisciplinary research fields in
space science, including the search for life outside the solar system,
archaeological studies of the Milky Way, and the study of single and binary
supernova progenitors, among which are future gravitational wave sources. The
specific role and potential of asteroseismology for those modern research
fields are illustrated. The review concludes with current limitations of
asteroseismology and highlights how they can be overcome with ongoing and
future large infrastructures for survey astronomy combined with new theoretical
research in the era of high-performance computing. This review presents results
obtained through major community efforts over the past decade. These
breakthroughs were achieved in a collaborative and inclusive spirit that is
characteristic of the asteroseismology community. The review’s aim is to make
this research field accessible to graduate students and readers coming from
other fields of physics, with incentives to join future applications in this
domain of astrophysics.
Yearslong time series of high-precision brightness measurements have been
assembled for thousands of stars with telescopes operating in space. Such data
have allowed astronomers to measure the physics of stellar interiors via
nonradial oscillations, opening a new avenue to study the stars in the
Universe. Asteroseismology, the interpretation of the characteristics of
oscillation modes in terms of the physical properties of the stellar interior,
brought entirely new insights in how stars rotate and how they build up their
chemistry throughout their evolution. Data-driven space asteroseismology
delivered a drastic increase in the reliability of computer models mimicking
the evolution of stars born with a variety of masses and metallicities. Such
models are critical ingredients for modern physics as a whole, because they are
used throughout various contemporary and multidisciplinary research fields in
space science, including the search for life outside the solar system,
archaeological studies of the Milky Way, and the study of single and binary
supernova progenitors, among which are future gravitational wave sources. The
specific role and potential of asteroseismology for those modern research
fields are illustrated. The review concludes with current limitations of
asteroseismology and highlights how they can be overcome with ongoing and
future large infrastructures for survey astronomy combined with new theoretical
research in the era of high-performance computing. This review presents results
obtained through major community efforts over the past decade. These
breakthroughs were achieved in a collaborative and inclusive spirit that is
characteristic of the asteroseismology community. The review’s aim is to make
this research field accessible to graduate students and readers coming from
other fields of physics, with incentives to join future applications in this
domain of astrophysics.
http://arxiv.org/icons/sfx.gif
