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Spectropolarimetic campaigns have established that large-scale magnetic fields are present at the surfaces of approximately 10% of massive dwarf stars. However, there is a dearth of magnetic field measurements for their deep interiors. Asteroseismology of gravity-mode pulsations combined with rotating magneto-hydrodynamical calculations of the early-B main-sequence star HD 43317 constrain its magnetic field strength to be approximately 5 × 105 G just outside its convective core. This proof-of-concept study for magneto-asteroseismology opens a new window into the observational characterisation of magnetic fields inside massive stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ESA/KU Leuven CubeSpec mission is specifically designed to provide low-cost space-based high-resolution optical spectroscopy. Here we highlight the science requirements and capabilities of CubeSpec. The primary science goal is to perform pulsation mode identification from spectroscopic line profile variability and empower asteroseismology of massive stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Thanks to the high-precision photometry from space missions such as Kepler and TESS, tidal perturbations and tilting of pulsations have been detected in more than a dozen binary systems. However, only two of these were gravity-mode (g-mode) pulsators. Aims. We aim to detect tidally perturbed g modes in additional binary systems and characterise them observationally. Methods. We performed a custom data reduction of the available Kepler and TESS photometry of a well-studied, published sample of 35 binary systems with γ Doradus (γ Dor) pulsators. For each target, we modelled the binary signal using a sum of 100 sine waves with frequencies at orbital harmonics and measured significant pulsation frequencies in an iterative pre-whitening analysis of the residual light curve. Pulsations are labelled as tidally perturbed g modes if they are part of both period-spacing patterns and multiplets spaced by integer multiples of the orbital frequency. After visual inspection and confirmation, the properties of these targets and g modes were characterised. Results. We detect tidally perturbed g-mode pulsations for five short-period binaries that are circularised and (almost) synchronously rotating: KIC 3228863, KIC 3341457, KIC 4947528, KIC 9108579, and KIC 12785282. Tidally perturbed g modes that occur within the same star and have the same mode identification (k, m), are found to have near-identical relative amplitude and phase modulations, which are within their respective 1 − σ uncertainties and also identical for the Kepler and TESS photometric passbands. By contrast, pulsations with different mode identifications (k, m) are found to exhibit different modulations. Moreover, the observed amplitude and phase modulations are correlated, indicating that the binary tides primarily distort the g-mode amplitudes on the stellar surface. The phase modulations are then primarily a geometric effect of the integration of the stellar flux over the visible stellar surface. All selected binaries also exhibit signal that resembles rotational modulation in the Fourier domain. In the case of KIC 3228863, this is caused by the presence of the known tertiary component, and for the other systems we hypothesise that it is caused by temperature variations on the stellar surface. Alternatively, the signal can be made up of overstable convective modes in the stellar core or may belong to the non-pulsating companion. Conclusions. While g-mode pulsation periods are known to be a direct probe of the deep interior stellar structure, the binary tides that cause the pulsation modulations are dominant in the outer stellar layers. Hence, in the future, tidally perturbed g modes may allow us to carry out core-to-surface asteroseismic modelling of tidally distorted stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the analysis of the optical variability of the early, nitrogen-rich Wolf–Rayet (WR) star WR 7. The analysis of multisector Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) light curves and high-resolution spectroscopic observations confirm multiperiodic variability that is modulated on time-scales of years. We detect a dominant period of 2.6433 ± 0.0005 d in the TESS sectors 33 and 34 light curves in addition to the previously reported high-frequency features from sector 7. We discuss the plausible mechanisms that may be responsible for such variability in WR 7, including pulsations, binarity, co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs), and clumpy winds. Given the lack of strong evidence for the presence of a stellar or compact companion, we suggest that WR 7 may pulsate in quasi-coherent modes in addition to wind variability likely caused by CIRs on top of stochastic low-frequency variability. WR 7 is certainly a worthy target for future monitoring in both spectroscopy and photometry to sample both the short (≲1 d) and long (≳1000 d) variability time-scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asteroseismic modelling of period spacing patterns from gravito-inertial modes in stars with a convective core is a high-dimensional problem. We utilize the measured period spacing pattern of prograde dipole gravity modes (acquiring Π0), in combination with the effective temperature (T eff) and surface gravity (log  g) derived from spectroscopy, to estimate the fundamental stellar parameters and core properties of 37 γ Doradus (γ Dor) stars whose rotation frequency has been derived from Kepler photometry. We use two 6D grids of stellar models, one with step core overshooting and another with exponential core overshooting, to evaluate correlations between the three observables Π0, T eff, and log  g and the mass, age, core overshooting, metallicity, initial hydrogen mass fraction, and envelope mixing. We provide multivariate linear model recipes relating the stellar parameters to be estimated to the three observables (Π0, T eff, log  g). We estimate the (core) mass, age, core overshooting, and metallicity of γ Dor stars from an ensemble analysis and achieve relative uncertainties of ∼10 per cent for the parameters. The asteroseismic age determination allows us to conclude that efficient angular momentum transport occurs already early on during the main sequence. We find that the nine stars with observed Rossby modes occur across almost the entire main-sequence phase, except close to core-hydrogen exhaustion. Future improvements of our work will come from the inclusion of more types of detected modes per star, larger samples, and modelling of individual mode frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Main sequence stars with a convective core are predicted to stochastically excite internal gravity waves (IGWs), which effectively transport angular momentum throughout the stellar interior and explain the observed near-uniform interior rotation rates of intermediate-mass stars. However, there are few detections of IGWs, and fewer still made using photometry, with more detections needed to constrain numerical simulations. Aims. We aim to formalise the detection and characterisation of IGWs in photometric observations of stars born with convective cores (M ≳ 1.5 M⊙) and parameterise the low-frequency power excess caused by IGWs. Methods. Using the most recent CoRoT light curves for a sample of O, B, A and F stars, we parameterised the morphology of the flux contribution of IGWs in Fourier space using an MCMC numerical scheme within a Bayesian framework. We compared this to predictions from IGW numerical simulations and investigated how the observed morphology changes as a function of stellar parameters. Results. We demonstrate that a common morphology for the low-frequency power excess is observed in early-type stars observed by CoRoT. Our study shows that a background frequency-dependent source of astrophysical signal is common, which we interpret as IGWs. We provide constraints on the amplitudes of IGWs and the shape of their detected frequency spectrum across a range of mass, which is the first ensemble study of stochastic variability in such a diverse sample of stars. Conclusions. The evidence of a low-frequency power excess across a wide mass range supports the interpretation of IGWs in photometry of O, B, A and F stars. We also discuss the prospects of observing hundreds of massive stars with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This talk discussed the basics of gravito-inertial asteroseismology as recently developed for stars born with a convective core. Photometric space missions originally built for exoplanet hunting, notably Kepler , have opened up the low-frequency regime of stellar oscillations and revealed a larger diversity in variability than anticipated prior to the era of high-precision space photometry. The talk explained the basics of forward seismic modelling based on gravito-inertial modes, which probe the deep stellar interior. It described how a hierarchical fitting approach allows us to derive the near-core rotation period, the amount and shape of convective core overshooting, and the level of chemical mixing in the radiative envelope for stars born with a convective core and burning hydrogen in their core. A summary of the current status, covering the mass range 1.4 ≲ M ≲ 5 M⊙, is provided here through references to numerous recent papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Solar-analogue stars provide an excellent resource to study the Sun’s evolution, i.e. the changes with time in stellar structure, activity, or rotation for solar-like stars. The unparalleled photometric data from the NASA space telescope Kepler allows us to study and characterise solar-like stars through asteroseismology. Aims. We aim to spectroscopically investigate the fundamental parameter and chromospheric activity of solar analogues and twins, based on observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph and combine them with asteroseismology. Therefore, we need to build a solar atlas for the spectrograph, to provide accurate calibrations of the spectroscopically determined abundances of solar- and late-type stars observed with this instrument and thus perform differential spectroscopic comparisons. Methods. We acquire high-resolution and high signal-to-noise (S/N) spectroscopy to construct three solar reference spectra by observing the reflected light of the asteroids Vesta and Victoria and the jovian moon Europa (100 ≲ S/N ≲ 450) with the HERMES spectrograph. We then observe the Kepler solar analogue KIC 3241581 (S/N ∼ 170). For this star, the fundamental spectral parameters are extracted using a differential analysis. Sufficient S/N in the near ultraviolet allows us to investigate the chromospheric magnetic activity in both objects. Results. We constructed three solar spectrum atlases from 385 to 900 nm, obtained with the HERMES spectrograph from observations of two bright asteroids and a jovian moon. A comparison between our solar spectra atlas to the Kurucz and HARPS solar spectrum shows an excellent agreement. KIC 3241581 was found to be a long-periodic binary system. The fundamental parameter for the stellar primary component are Teff = 5689 ± 11 K, log g = 4.385 ± 0.005, [Fe/H] = +0.22 ± 0.01, being in agreement with the published global seismic values, which confirms its status as solar analogue. The chromospheric activity level is compatible with the solar magnetic activity observed during 2014 and 2015. Conclusions. Our solar atlas is an essential tool for the analysis of solar-like stars and to characterise solar analogues and twins with HERMES. The differential analysis, using the presented solar atlas from HERMES observations allows us to obtain the fundamental parameters with very high accuracy. KIC 3241581 is a metal-rich solar analogue with a solar-like activity level in a binary system of unknown period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The analysis of stellar oscillations is one of the most reliable ways to probe stellar interiors. Recent space missions such as Kepler have provided us with an opportunity to study these oscillations with unprecedented detail. For many multi-periodic pulsators such as γ Doradus stars, this led to the detection of dozens to hundreds of oscillation frequencies that could not be found from ground based observations. Aims. We aim to detect non-uniform period spacings in the Fourier spectra of a sample of γ Doradus stars observed by Kepler. Such detection is complicated by both the large number of significant frequencies in the space photometry and by overlapping nonequidistant rotationally split multiplets. Methods. Guided by theoretical properties of gravity-mode oscillation of γ Doradus stars, we developed a period-spacing detection method and applied it to Kepler observations of a few stars, after having tested the performance from simulations. Results. The application of the technique resulted in the clear detection of non-uniform period spacing series for three out of the five treated Kepler targets. Disadvantages of the technique are also discussed, and include the disability to distinguish between different values of the spherical degree and azimuthal order of the oscillation modes without additional theoretical modelling. Conclusions. Despite the shortcomings, the method is shown to allow solid detections of period spacings for γ Doradus stars, which will allow future asteroseismic analyses of these stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 40 years of ground-based photometric observations of the δ Sct star 4 CVn has revealed 18 independent oscillation frequencies, including radial as well as non-radial p-modes of low spherical degree l ⩽ 2. From 2008 to 2011, more than 2000 spectra were obtained at the 2.1m Otto-Struve telescope at the McDonald Observatory. We present the analysis of the line-profile variations, based on the Fourier-parameter fit method, detected in the absorption lines of 4 CVn, which carry clear signatures of the pulsations. From a non-sinusoidal, periodic variation of the radial velocities, we discover that 4 CVn is an eccentric binary system with an orbital period Porb = 124.44 ± 0.03 d and an eccentricity e = 0.311 ± 0.003. We detect 20 oscillation frequencies, 9 of which previously unseen in photometric data; attempt mode identification for the two dominant modes, f1 = 7.3764 d-1 and f2 = 5.8496 d-1; and determine the prograde or retrograde nature of 7 of the modes. The projected rotational velocity of the star, veq sin i ≃ 106.7 kms-1, translates to a rotation rate of veq/vcrit ⩾ 33%. This relatively high rotation rate hampers unique mode identification, since higher order effects of rotation are not included in the current methodology. We conclude that, in order to achieve unambiguous mode identification for 4CVn, a complete description of rotation and the use of blended lines have to be included in mode-identification techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The MOST, CoRoT, and Kepler space missions have led to the discovery of a large number of intriguing, and in some cases unique, objects among which are pulsating stars, stars hosting exoplanets, binaries, etc. Although the space missions have delivered photometric data of unprecedented quality, these data are lacking any spectral information and we are still in need of ground-based spectroscopic and/or multicolour photometric follow-up observations for a solid interpretation. Aims. The faintness of most of the observed stars and the required high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of spectroscopic data both imply the need to use large telescopes, access to which is limited. In this paper, we look for an alternative, and aim for the development of a technique that allows the denoising of the originally low S/N (typically, below 80) spectroscopic data, making observations of faint targets with small telescopes possible and effective. Methods. We present a generalization of the original least-squares deconvolution (LSD) method by implementing a multicomponent average profile and a line strengths correction algorithm. We tested the method on simulated and real spectra of single and binary stars, among which are two intrinsically variable objects. Results. The method was successfully tested on the high-resolution spectra of Vega and a Kepler star, KIC 04749989. Application to the two pulsating stars, 20 Cvn and HD189631, showed that the technique is also applicable to intrinsically variable stars: the results of frequency analysis and mode identification from the LSD model spectra for both objects are in good agreement with the findings from literature. Depending on the S/N of the original data and spectral characteristics of a star, the gain in S/N in the LSD model spectrum typically ranges from 5 to 15 times. Conclusions. The technique introduced in this paper allows an effective denoising of the originally low S/N spectroscopic data. The high S/N spectra obtained this way can be used to determine fundamental parameters and chemical composition of the stars. The restored LSD model spectra contain all the information on line profile variations present in the original spectra of pulsating stars, for example. The method is applicable to both high- (>30 000) and low- (<30 000) resolution spectra, although the information that can be extracted from the latter is limited by the resolving power itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, astronomical photometry has been revolutionised by space missions such as MOST, CoRoT and Kepler. However, despite this progress, high-quality spectroscopy is still required as well. Unfortunately, high-resolution spectra can only be obtained using ground-based telescopes, and since many interesting targets are rather faint, the spectra often have a relatively low S/N. Consequently, we have developed an algorithm based on the least-squares deconvolution profile, which allows to reconstruct an observed spectrum, but with a higher S/N. We have successfully tested the method using both synthetic and observed data, and in combination with several common spectroscopic applications, such as e.g. the determination of atmospheric parameter values, and frequency analysis and mode identification of stellar pulsations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on mapping of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF3) genes to rat chromosome bands 6q23→q24, 3q41 and 1q21→q22 by in situ hybridization. The Hnf3 genes encode liver-enriched transcription factors which were shown to bind to the transthyretin and &agr;1-antitrypsin gene promoter. They are expressed early during development and appear to be involved in regulation of endodermal differentiation. The genes Hnf3a, Hnf3b and Hnf3g were localized to 6q23→q24, 3q41 and 1q21→q22, respectively.