Principal Investigator
Margarida S. Cunha

Abstract
Over the last decades, asteroseismology has blossomed thanks to the ultra-precise, space-based photometric time series acquired by satellites such as CoRoT(France/ESA; 2006-2012), Kepler Kepler/K2 (NASA; 2009-2018) and TESS (NASA: 2018-). Through the study of stellar oscillations, major progress has been made in the understanding of fundamental aspects of the physics that govern stellar evolution. Nevertheless,  the modelling of stars  and their evolution across the HR diagram still faces outstanding challenges, related to unresolved questions pertaining to the transport  of chemical elements inside stars. These, in turn, limit the accuracy with which stellar fundamental properties can be inferred, with negative implications for a diversity of astrophysical studies, including exoplanetary research and galactic archaeology. 

The exquisite seismic data that is being acquired by the TESS survey, on a large number of pulsating, chemically peculiar (so-called roAp) stars, potentiates a major breakthrough in the understanding of these transport mechanisms that impact the modelling of all stars and the inference of accurate stellar fundamental properties.

Based on a strong synergy between theory and observations, the project will focus on the exploitation of the TESS data on roAp stars, using these data to set quantitative constraints on the efficiency of the chemical mixing inside these stars and furthering our understanding of the driving of their pulsations. Further to this, it will launch a living catalogue of roAp stars, that the team plans  to keep updated as TESS data continues to be acquired beyond the project term. It will bring together seismic, classical and fundamental properties inferred from state-of the-art stellar evolution models, that will be a legacy for a myriad of future studies directed towards improving the modelling of stars and their pulsations. In the long run, our results will also have a far-reaching impact in studies that depend directly on the accurate modelling of stars, including studies aimed at the characterization of exoplanetary systems or at reconstructing the history of the Milky Way.

The work will be organised in four science tasks, the first related to the analysis of TESS data  on new and previously known roAp stars and the second and third related to the modelling of the stars and their pulsation modes, leading to the inference of their fundamental properties and chemical profiles and to the setting of fundamental constraints on the efficiency of chemical mixing. The fourth task will produce the living catalogue and perform an ensemble analysis of the results to characterise the interdependencies among the seismic and stellar properties to uncover the key physics at play in the excitation of the oscillations. In addition to these science tasks, the project includes a dedicated task aimed at the development of outreach tools to take the project results and underlying physical concepts to many thousands of people including students, press, and the general public.

The success of this project stands on the unique and complementary expertise of the team members in theory of stellar pulsations and stellar evolution, as well as on data analysis and modelling, and on the PI leadership role in the context of the TESS Asteroseismic Science Consortium. In this context, the project will offer a tremendous research environment to engage the two PhD students that are Co-Is of the project as well as the two students that will join the team thanks to project funds.


- total investment (investimento total): € 49.196,48
- EU financial support (apoio financeiro da UE): € 0,00
- national public financial support (apoio financeiro público nacional): € 49.196,48


- list of publications (lista de publicações): here
- scientific dissemination activity ''Flashes in the Cosmos – A Biography of the Stars'' (atividade de divulgação científica ''Clarões no Cosmos – Uma Biografia das Estrelas''): here

Start
10 March 2023
End
9 March 2025

Funding Institution
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia