Constructing a one-solar-mass evolutionary sequence using asteroseismic data from Kepler

V. Silva Aguirre, W. J. Chaplin, J. Ballot, S. Basu, T. R. Bedding, A. M. Serenelli, G. A. Verner, A. Miglio, M. J. P. F. G. Monteiro, A. Weiss, T. Appourchaux, A. Bonanno, A.-M. Broomhall, H. Bruntt, T. L. Campante, L. Casagrande, E. Corsaro, Y. Elsworth, R. A. García, P. Gaulme, R. Handberg, S. Hekker, D. Huber, C. Karoff, S. Mathur, B. Mosser, D. Salabert, R. Schönrich, S. G. Sousa, D. Stello, T. R. White, J. Christensen-Dalsgaard, R. L. Gilliland, S. D. Kawaler, H. Kjeldsen, G. Houdek, T. S. Metcalfe, J. Molenda-Żakowicz, M. J. Thompson, D. A. Caldwell, J. L. Christiansen, B. Wohler

Abstract
Asteroseismology of solar-type stars has entered a new era of large surveys with the success of the NASA Kepler mission, which is providing exquisite data on oscillations of stars across the Hertzprung-Russell (HR) diagram. From the time-series photometry, the two seismic parameters that can be most readily extracted are the large frequency separation (Δν) and the frequency of maximum oscillation power (ν_max). After the survey phase, these quantities are available for hundreds of solar-type stars. By scaling from solar values, we use these two asteroseismic observables to identify for the first time an evolutionary sequence of 1-M_☉ field stars, without the need for further information from stellar models. Comparison of our determinations with the few available spectroscopic results shows an excellent level of agreement. We discuss the potential of the method for differential analysis throughout the main-sequence evolution, and the possibility of detecting twins of very well-known stars.

Keywords
asteroseismology - stars: evolution - stars: oscillations

The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume 740, Page L2_1
October 2011

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