A frequency analysis of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 101065

Martinez, Peter

A frequency analysis of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 101065

Master Thesis

1989

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Astronomy

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

The study of pulsating stars is a mature and important field of stellar astrophysics. The recent discovery that main sequence stars such as the Sun and the cool Ap stars oscillate with a large number of normal modes has given rise to asteroseismology, a new approach which promises to yield accurate knowledge of the interior structure and dynamics of these stars. Although the techniques of asteroseismology have yet to be perfected, they will provide us with extremely powerful tools to test theories of stellar structure and evolution and to provide detailed knowledge of stellar mass, age, internal rotation, magnetism and convection. They may also provide information on the elemental abundances and mixing and indicate the presence of low-mass companions. In asteroseismological studies, the primary data are the frequencies of the normal modes present in the object of interest. This thesis describes an attempt to perform a definitive frequency analysis of the rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 101065. The results of the intense observing program and the subsequent frequency analysis have been published and we reproduce them here in their entirety. The disadvantage in this approach is that the terseness expected by the editor of a scientific journal is sometimes a stumbling block for the reader not fully acquainted with the field. It is thus the purpose of Part l of this thesis to supplement the papers presented in Part II and the Appendix and to provide a more general background against which they can be read and understood.

Keywords

Astronomy

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