No abstract

Observations of the pulsations of stars can be used to infer their interior structure and test theoretical models. The main-sequence γ Doradus (Dor) and δ Scuti (Sct) stars with masses 1.2-2.5 M are particularly useful for these studies. The γ Dor stars pulsate in high-order g-modes with periods of order 1 day, driven by convective blocking at the base of their envelope convection zone. The δ Sct stars pulsate in low-order g-and p-modes with periods of order 2 hr, driven by the κ mechanism operating in the He ii ionization zone. Theory predicts an overlap region in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram between instability regions, where "hybrid" stars pulsating in both types of modes should exist. The two types of modes with properties governed by different portions of the stellar interior provide complementary model constraints. Among the known γ Dor and δ Sct stars, only four have been confirmed as hybrids. Now, analysis of combined Quarter 0 and Quarter 1 Kepler data for hundreds of variable stars shows that the frequency spectra are so rich that there are practically no pure δ Sct or γ Dor pulsators, i.e., essentially all of the stars show frequencies in both the δ Sct and the γ Dor frequency range. A new observational classification scheme is proposed that takes into account the amplitude as well as the frequency and is applied to categorize 234 stars as δ Sct, γ Dor, δ Sct/γ Dor or γ Dor/δ Sct hybrids.

Aims. This work presents the results obtained by CoRoT on HD 50844, the only δ Sct star observed in the CoRoT initial run (57.6 d). The aim of these CoRoT observations was to investigate and characterize for the first time the pulsational behaviour of a δ Sct star, when observed at a level of precision and with a much better duty cycle than from the ground. Methods. The 140 016 datapoints were analysed using independent approaches (SigSpec software and different iterative sine-wave fittings) and several checks performed (splitting of the timeseries in different subsets, investigation of the residual light curves and spectra). A level of 10 −5 mag was reached in the amplitude spectra of the CoRoT timeseries. The space monitoring was complemented by ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy, which allowed the mode identification of 30 terms.Results. The frequency analysis of the CoRoT timeseries revealed hundreds of terms in the frequency range 0-30 d −1 . All the crosschecks confirmed this new result. The initial guess that δ Sct stars have a very rich frequency content is confirmed. The spectroscopic mode identification gives theoretical support since very high-degree modes (up to = 14) are identified. We also prove that cancellation effects are not sufficient in removing the flux variations associated to these modes at the noise level of the CoRoT measurements. The ground-based observations indicate that HD 50844 is an evolved star that is slightly underabundant in heavy elements, located on the Terminal Age Main Sequence. Probably due to this unfavourable evolutionary status, no clear regular distribution is observed in the frequency set. The predominant term ( f 1 = 6.92 d −1 ) has been identified as the fundamental radial mode combining ground-based photometric and spectroscopic data.

We report a multisite photometric campaign for the β Cephei star 12 Lacertae. 750 h of high‐quality differential photoelectric Strömgren, Johnson and Geneva time‐series photometry were obtained with nine telescopes during 190 nights. Our frequency analysis results in the detection of 23 sinusoidal signals in the light curves. Ten of those correspond to independent pulsation modes, and the remainder are combination frequencies. We find some slow aperiodic variability such as that seemingly present in several β Cephei stars. We perform mode identification from our colour photometry, derive the spherical degree ℓ for the five strongest modes unambiguously and provide constraints on ℓ for the weaker modes. We find a mixture of modes of 0 ≤ℓ≤ 4. In particular, we prove that the previously suspected rotationally split triplet within the modes of 12 Lac consists of modes of different ℓ; their equal frequency splitting must thus be accidental. One of the periodic signals we detected in the light curves is argued to be a linearly stable mode excited to visible amplitude by non‐linear mode coupling via a 2:1 resonance. We also find a low‐frequency signal in the light variations whose physical nature is unclear; it could be a parent or daughter mode resonantly coupled. The remaining combination frequencies are consistent with simple light‐curve distortions. The range of excited pulsation frequencies of 12 Lac may be sufficiently large that it cannot be reproduced by standard models. We suspect that the star has a larger metal abundance in the pulsational driving zone, a hypothesis also capable of explaining the presence of β Cephei stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud.