Rhythmic Pulsations of Delta Scuti Stars Reveal Their Secrets
The key to solving the mysteries held by a class of young pulsating stars — delta Scuti stars — lies in understanding the beat of their stellar heart, new research suggests.
A team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, and the University of Sydney, Australia, have unlocked the secrets of a large class of young pulsating stars — delta Scuti stars — by carefully listening to their natural resonances. The team’s findings are reported in the journal Nature.
Whilst the measurement of pulsations — the basis of astroseismology allowing astronomers to test models of stellar evolution, have been extremely successful on a range of different classes of stars, delta Scuti stars present seemingly random pulsations. This has made it extremely difficult for scientists to interpret the pulsations and gather clues about the internal structures of this class of star.
“Previously we were finding too many jumbled up notes to understand these pulsating stars properly,” says Professor Tim Bedding from the…
