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The Pulsation Properties of Procyon A
The Astrophysical Journal
|October 8, 1999
Summary
Stellar evolution models for Procyon A reveal g-modes are sensitive to core structure, while p-modes depend only on evolutionary state. P-mode observations will robustly test stellar models.
Area of Science:
- Stellar Astrophysics
- Stellar Evolution Modeling
Background:
- Procyon A is a key star for testing stellar evolution theories.
- Accurate stellar models require precise physics and observational constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate stellar evolution models for Procyon A using advanced physics.
- To investigate the sensitivity of oscillation modes (p-modes and g-modes) to model parameters.
Main Methods:
- Generated a grid of stellar evolution models for Procyon A.
- Incorporated state-of-the-art physics, including diffusion (helium and heavy-element).
- Calculated frequencies for p-modes and period spacing for g-modes.
Main Results:
- G-modes are sensitive to core structure parameters like overshoot and heavy-element abundance.
- P-modes are insensitive to detailed physics and primarily depend on Procyon A's evolutionary state.
- Models were based on revised astrometric mass data.
Conclusions:
- P-mode frequencies offer a robust method for testing stellar evolution models of Procyon A.
- G-mode analysis provides insights into the core physics and evolutionary state of Procyon A.